Fairy Tales of Equestria
by VioletRose13
Summary: For centuries, fairy tales have been treasured and passed down from generation to generation. Some are funny, some are romantic, some are scary, and some have a bit of everything in them. But these fairy tales are a little different than you think. Enjoy these classic stories… with an MLP twist.
1. Spike and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time in a far off kingdom, there lived a baby dragon named Spike. He and his mother Ms. Sparkle were farmers, but during these difficult times, they hardly had enough food or money for themselves. Eventually, they were in terrible debt and they couldn't afford anything anymore. Times were so hard that the mare and her son only had two things left; a small farmhouse in desperate need of repair and one old white cow that was already out of milk. On the day Ms. Sparkle and Spike finished the last of their food, she turned to look at her son with a concerned expression on her face.

"Spike, can you do me a _big_ favor?" Ms. Sparkle asked.

"Sure, mom. What is it you want me to do?" Spike said, looking up at his mother with a smile.

"I need you to go to the market with our cow and sell her for as much as you can."

"Sell our cow?!"

"Yes, we need the money."

"But… why?"

"Because if we don't, we'll have nothing, we'll be thrown out into the streets, and we'll be left to starve. Do you understand?"

Spike thought about his mother's request. He quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and he let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll try to sell the cow." Spike said, nodding his head and smirking.

"That's my boy. Believe me it's for the best." Ms. Sparkle said, smiling and giving her son a small peck in the forehead. "Now remember, when you make it to the market, accept no less than ten bits for her. And don't dawdle or stop for anything on your way there. Get it?"

"Got it. Bye, mom."

"Bye, Spike. See you later."

So with the cow in tow, Spike made his way along the trodden path towards the market in town. But after a half an hour of walking, he came across a rather strange surprise.

"Oh, hi there. If I'm not mistaken, you must be… Spike, right?" A mysterious cloaked unicorn mare said with a friendly smile as she approached Spike.

"Uh, yeah. I'm Spike… How do you know my name? Who are you?" Spike asked nervously.

"That's not important. I was just wondering where you're going."

"Oh, I'm just on my way to the market to sell my cow. No less than ten bits."

"You don't say. Well, don't worry. I've got something that will magically erase all of your debt. Trust me." The mare said.

"What are you talking about?" Spike asked, sounding intrigued.

The mare rummaged through the pockets of her ragged cloak and she showed the dragon three beans. Spike winced, confused and angry.

"Beans? That's it? What kind of idiot do you think I am? I can't accept these." Spike ranted, pushing the mare's hoof away.

"No, no, no; you don't understand. These beans contain a powerful _magic_." She replied.

" _Magic_? What _kind_ of magic?"

"Magic to its finest, defies all description too. These beans hold power beyond any you could ever imagine. And maybe, just maybe, they might just be able to help you. So what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"Are you sure you're telling me the truth? Because if you're lying…"

"Of course I'm telling the truth. Do I really look like a pony who would lie to you?

"Well…"

Spike looked at the mare's outstretched hoof, waiting to be shaken. He was very hesitant on taking the beans in exchange for his cow, but he knew how his mother would react if he came back empty-clawed. So he took the pony's hoof and said with a smile,

"Agreed."

So, the unicorn mare took the cow and Spike took the here beans. Before another word could be said, the mysterious stranger had already disappeared with the cow leaving poor naïve Spike with three lousy and supposedly ordinary beans. When he returned home and proudly presented the beans to his mother, however, Ms. Sparkle was far less than pleased with her son's decision.

"Beans!? BEANS?! How could you do this, Spike?!" She shrieked. "I sent you into town for _money_ , not _this_! Who in the right mind exchanges a whole cow for three beans?! We can't live on these, what were you thinking?!"

"But, mom, you don't understand! They're _magic_ beans! The unicorn who sold them to me said so!" Spike insisted.

"Magic?! Ugh, worthless!" Ms. Sparkle yelled, taking the beans out of her son's claw and tossing them out the window and into the yard.

"Look I know you're really angry right now, but I didn't know what to do. That pony seemed really nice and she was _very_ persuasive. What would it take for you to believe me?" Spike said.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Spike." Ms. Sparkle groaned, putting her hoof over her face. "You've been tricked; nothing else to it! There's no such thing as magic beans, end of story."

"But mom, please—"

"Not another word, Spike! To bed without supper for you! I'll have to come up with another plan to get food around here. Oh, what are we going to do…?"

What Ms. Sparkle didn't know was that the beans she threw into the garden really _were_ magical. That very night when the moon shone brightly in the sky, the beans took root in the soil in the yard and they began to grow and grow long into the night. When the sun rose the next morning, Spike and his mother gazed in astonishment at what they just saw. Standing in front of them was an enormous beanstalk towering over Spike, Ms. Sparkle, and their farmhouse.

"I told you those beans were magic." Spike proudly announced at last.

Ms. Sparkle said nothing; she was too shocked to speak. Then, a thought popped into the young dragon's head.

"Hey… maybe I should climb it. Just to see what's up there." He said as he curiously scratched his head.

"Wait, what? Are you sure you want to do that, Spike? It doesn't look very safe. Who knows what might happen up there?" Ms. Sparkle said, shaking in her hooves. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry about me, mom. I climbed stuff like this a million times before. I'll be right back _and_ I'll be careful, promise." Spike said, walking closer to the stalk.

"Well… just _please_ be safe." Ms. Sparkle said, giving Spike a hug before he began to climb.

Spike climbed and climbed up the beanstalk, letting his imagination run wild with the possibilities of what would be awaiting for him at the top.

"Wow, this thing is pretty big. I can't even tell how far up it goes from here." Spike said to himself as he continued to climb.

After a while of climbing, Spike's head popped out from the fluffy mass of pale clouds above his head. He looked around and discovered an entire world above the clouds that nopony could have ever thought. Then he thought about climbing onto the clouds. But even though he was frightened and skeptical of the possible outcome, Spike took a tiny step onto the cloud in front of him and found much to his surprise that it was as firm as solid ground. He wandered away from the beanstalk and he took note of the strange plants which seemed far larger than those back home. After wandering around for a few minutes, Spike came upon a giant stone building and his eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Whoa! A _castle_ … in the _sky_?! I gotta know what's in there." Spike said with excitement in his voice.

He knew that castles had all manner of wonderful things to see and possibly wondrous unimaginable treasures hiding as well and he thought that maybe this could be the answer to all of his problems.

Without a knock, Spike slipped under the castle's main entrance doors and looked up to see that everything in the foyer was larger than anything inside a normal castle. His eyes were as large as dinner plates and his mouth fell open at the sight.

"Who could live here?" He asked himself as he tried to climb the enormous steps.

With his curiosity kicking in, Spike made his way up to the railing, sat down, and he slid down the railing as if it was a slide at the playground and he landed on the floor with a thud.

"Yep, definitely should've thought that through." He muttered as he got back onto his feet.

Then in the corner of his eye, Spike saw something glowing and shimmering; he turned his head and saw that it looked like the light was coming from the kitchen. Spike ran towards the open door, he looked, and saw shelves upon shelves of wonderful shining and sparkling things. There were gold and silver that almost reached the ceiling and there were jewels of every shape, cut, color, and size. As he gazed at his surroundings for a moment, Spike could hear a faint strumming sound coming from somewhere on the enormous table nearby. He wandered closer, the sound becoming louder and louder as he did so. It reminded him of the sound of a harp mixed with the singing voice of a pony. He was entranced by the sound and decided to follow it.

Spike struggled to climb the leg of the table and once he reached the top, he saw an array of even more treasures. There were golden bricks stacked up as tall as mountains, gilded jewelry boxes as wide as fields, piles of coins as deep as canyons, and all manner of other precious metals and jewels scattered about. He was so overtaken by the stunning sight that he nearly forgot the reason he climbed onto the table in the first place. It wasn't until he heard another few notes sound that he continued pursuing it to discover the source.

When he turned the corner, Spike was surprised to see a large goose with yellow feathers and teal eyes sitting in a nest that was surrounded by a few eggs of solid gold sitting next to a large column of bronze coins. He gasped in surprise.

"Uh… Excuse me?" Spike started.

"Oh! Don't scare me like that." The Goose exclaimed as she saw the small dragon before her.

"Oh, sorry." Spike stammered.

"That's okay. No harm done. Just please don't do it again." The Goose replied, nodding its head.

"Uh… am I seeing things or are you really a magical talking goose?"

"You're not seeing things. My name is Fluttergoose."

"And… are these eggs _real_ gold?"

"Yes, I laid them myself."

"Whoa! That is so cool!"

"Ahem! I'm afraid these eggs do not belong to you!" Another voice said.

That voice was coming from a golden Harp that was strangely in the shape of a lovely unicorn mare with a light yellowish golden coat, deep blue eyes, deep golden curled hair, three blue gems on its "flank", and a large fancily decorated golden lyre shaped instrument sitting atop its back. He stared at it for a moment before speaking again.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Spike asked before strumming the golden lyre, causing the creature to laugh at the sensation.

"Stop it! That tickles!" The Harp exclaimed, gently taking the dragon's claw away from her lyre. "I am Lyrity and you're not supposed to be here. It isn't safe for someone like you."

"Why not?" Spike asked.

"Because of our master. He doesn't really… enjoy having intruders here. If he catches you, he'll crush you with one motion." Lyrity warned. "So, I think it'd be best if you leave right this minute before he discovers you."

"Why not mind your own business?" Spike said, plucking one of the strings on Lyrity's lyre.

"Ow! Quit playing me!" Lyrity whined, rubbing her back.

That was when they heard loud, rumbling steps coming towards the door. Spike was very confused, but Lyrity and Fluttergoose were terrified.

"Oh no! It's him!" Fluttergoose exclaimed, covering her face with her wings.

"Who?" Spike asked.

"Our master, of course!" Lyrity cried. "There's hardly any time for you to escape NOW! You need to—"

Without missing a beat, the giant door to the kitchen burst open scaring Spike so much that he leapt behind Fluttergoose's nest to hide. Standing in the doorway with an enraged look on his face was none other than Lord Tirek the Giant.

"Fee Fi Fo Fum! I smell the stench of an Equestrian!" He roared.

Tirek stomped from the door to the table, causing the room to shake and quake as if the castle was moving by itself. Lyrity screamed and quickly jumped into a large silver chalice while Fluttergoose kept her face hidden underneath her wings and Spike struggled to stay unseen as he bounced up and down on the tabletop. The Giant carefully examined each precious item on the table, picking them up one at a time looking for little missing pieces or bits.

Spike frantically poked his head out of Fluttergoose's nest and looked for a new place to hide from the giant. He saw Lyrity hiding in the chalice; she was giving him a disappointed glare while she slowly shook her head.

"Ah, my prized Goose." The Giant declared, pulling Fluttergoose's nest closer to his face.

"W-whoa!" Spike exclaimed, falling from the nest with a shattering crash into a large pile of gemstones. "Ouch!"

"WHAT?! What is the meaning of this!?" Tirek exclaimed in surprise.

Fluttergoose flew away from her nest as the Giant leaned in closer to the gems and squinted his eyes, his face mere inches away from the spot Spike was hiding. Spike popped his head out of the jewels rubbing his head before he met the gaze of the furious Giant centaur. Spike was frozen in place, a look of pure terror on his face.

"I knew it! A THIEF!" Tirek said reaching down with his enormous hand and scooping Spike out of the pile of jewels. Spike tried to climb out of the Giant's hand, but sadly to no avail.

"Dang it." Spike muttered.

"Who are you?! What are you doing in my castle?! And what do you want with my treasure?!" Tirek growled, glaring darkly at the tiny dragon in his hand.

"Look Mr. Giant, sir, I didn't know this was your castle. And I didn't know all this was your treasure. Honest! I was just observing it, that's all!" Spike stammered, a terrified look in his eyes.

"A likely story. You were intending to take my prized possessions for yourself and now you must pay for your crimes!"

"Pay? Wha-wha-what do you mean? What are you gonna do to me? Can't you just let me go so I won't bother you ever again? I promise I won't tell anyone about this, just please let me go!"

"Let you go? Of course not, don't be ridiculous. I'm just going to eat you _and_ my Goose and afterwards, I'm going to smash my Harp to little pieces for trying to help you escape."

"Say what now?" Spike asked.

The pit of Spike's stomach dropped, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped in shock. Lyrity and Fluttergoose's eyes widened as they both shook in terror.

"Yes, so be prepared, little dragon. But first… I must fatten you up. You are much too small and scrawny for me to eat, not big, plump, or fat enough just yet." Tirek said, opening a nearby cabinet and placing Spike on one of the shelves as if he were a toy. "Wait in here until I come back for you."

As Tirek closed the cupboard door, Spike quickly pushed his vest in the way of the lock. The Giant turned the key and walked away assuming he had successfully locked Spike inside. From the table below, Fluttergoose and Lyrity caught sight of Spike's trick; they obviously didn't want to perish so Lyrity intended to use her music to aid in Spike's escape. She and Fluttergoose turned their attention to Tirek and trotted towards his hand that was resting on the table.

"Excuse me, master?" Fluttergoose quietly asked. "Lyrity and I have something we'd like to offer you."

"Yes, yes! Might Fluttergoose and I play you a tune before you… do away with us?" Lyrity added meekly.

"What kind of tune are you intending?" Tirek asked, a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Perhaps… something soothing." Lyrity offered.

"Like a nice, calm lullaby." Fluttergoose added.

They looked at each other and nodded. Soon, Lyrity began to play a slow melody while she and Fluttergoose were singing a sweet lullaby along with the calm and beautiful strumming she made. Of course, Tirek was helpless to the hypnotic song and he soon rested his head on the table.

After a few minutes of silence, Spike could finally hear Tirek's loud snores through the wood of the cabinet door. He struggled to get the spoon free from the door's lock, then he opened it as quietly as he possibly could. Being careful not to make a sound, Spike leapt from the cupboard and onto the countertop. Fluttergoose and Lyrity smiled as Spike made his way from the counter over to the table.

"Spike! You're okay!" They quietly exclaimed.

"Nice job distracting the Giant, girls. Now let's get out of here." Spike said as he led his new friends to the leg of the table and as far from the sleeping Giant as possible.

But as they were tiptoeing away, Fluttergoose and Lyrity each let out a soft cough. Spike gasped in fear and covered their mouths with his claws.

"Guys, careful! We can't risk letting the Giant hear us and catch us." Spike quietly exclaimed, watching Tirek fearfully.

"I'm sorry, Spike." Fluttergoose said.

"Me, too." Lyrity added.

"It's okay. Come on." Spike whispered as he and his friends continued on their way.

As the trio began to sneak away, Spike suddenly felt a tickle in his nose. It grew stronger and stronger and he didn't know why. He looked around and saw a large dragon sneeze tree sitting nearby; he gulped.

'Oh no…' Spike thought as he felt a sneeze coming on.

Lyrity saw the tree and tried to cover Spike nose with her hoof, but it was too late. Spike had already let out a loud, deafening sneeze followed by a huge blaze of green fire; Lyrity and Fluttergoose covered their eyes in fright. Soon after, Spike quickly covered his mouth with his claws at the realization of what just happened. He closed his eyes in shame when he heard the unwelcomed sound of the Giant waking up.

"Nice going." Lyrity worriedly grumbled; Fluttergoose nodded and covered her face with her wings in fear.

"Uh, excuse me…" Spike muttered.

"What is going on here?! What was that noise?! My Harp! My Goose! My prisoner! Where are they!?" Tirek roared. Then he spotted the trio trying to escape.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Spike screamed, holding onto Fluttergoose as she started flapping her large wings.

"Wait for me!" Lyrity objected, pursuing Spike and Fluttergoose.

They safely made it down to the floor and Spike pulled Fluttergoose towards the door with Lyrity following close behind. As Spike and his friends ran closer towards the exit, Tirek listened for the sounds of tiny hurried footsteps until he spotted the trio making their exit. He growled and raced for the open door ahead of them, but Spike was too fast and Tirek couldn't keep up with him.

Spike, Lyrity, and Fluttergoose made their way outside the castle and closer to the beanstalk. The Giant was now hot on their tail.

"COME BACK HERE, THIEF! TRAITORS! I WILL DESTROY YOU! ALL OF YOU!" Tirek roared.

Spike put Lyrity onto the vine wrapped around the beanstalk beside Fluttergoose and then got behind the two to push them.

"Wait! What are you doing?! Stop!" Lyrity objected.

"Oh my! Please don't!" Fluttergoose cried worriedly.

"Hang on, girls; it's gonna get a little bumpy!" Spike said, pushing his friends onto the beanstalk then hopping onto it behind them.

With a loud and excited "YAHOO!" the trio slid down the vine wrapped around the beanstalk, Lyrity and Fluttergoose screaming in terror the entire ride down.

Ms. Sparkle waited half the day for her son to return; she was so worried about him that she paced the ground near the stalk and worn a small rut into the dirt. She soon looked back up at the beanstalk curiously when she heard the strange sound of the shrieking Goose and the screaming Harp. Much to her surprise, Spike and his two new companions jumped off of the beanstalk missing the farmhouse roof and landing in the dead fields right beside the house. Spike ran straight to his mother with his friends close behind and he hugged Ms. Sparkle tightly with several drops of sweat running down his face and body.

"Spike?! What's going on?! What happened?!" Ms. Sparkle asked worriedly.

"Mom! Get me the axe, quick! He could get down here any minute!" Spike shouted in distress.

"What? Who?!"

"No time to explain! Just get me the axe!"

Worried and confused by her son's urgent request, Ms. Sparkle ran into the farmhouse, came back outside with the biggest axe she could find, and reluctantly gave it her son. When he took the axe in his claws, Spike ran back to the beanstalk and he started to chop it with every ounce of his strength. Spike was terrified if he failed to save his new friends and his mother, of course, but he knew he would never let that happen not while he was around, so he continued to chop. Once the axe began chipping away at the beanstalk, Tirek was climbing down as best as he could, trying to reach the ground and Spike and his friends and his mother.

"Spike, what the hay happened up there?!" Ms. Sparkle asked.

"Hurry, Spike! He's getting closer!" Lyrity cried, keeping her focus in the sky.

"Almost done!" Spike said.

"Oh, I can't look!" Fluttergoose squeaked, hiding her face again.

Before the Giant could reach the ground however, Spike's axe had already cut clean into the beanstalk's thick stem and the entire plant began to topple over. Tirek was so surprised that he accidentally let go of the beanstalk and he fell to the ground with the beanstalk crashing down on top of him; he was never heard from again.

"Wow…" Spike said as he wiped sweat from his brow; he knew he had won.

After the beanstalk and Tirek were gone, Spike and his mother delighted in their new pet, Fluttergoose. They would take many of the golden eggs she laid almost every day and sell them, but some they would keep for themselves. Lyrity would usually spend her free time playing beautiful songs for Spike and Ms. Sparkle as they collected their new crop, which they always loved to hear.

And with the money they earned selling the eggs of gold, Spike and Ms. Sparkle were finally able to pay off all of their debts and from that time on, they all lived happily ever after.


	2. Little Red Prancing Hood

Once upon a time in a small village near the edge of a thick forest, there lived a young filly who always wore a lovely red cape with a hood that her dear Granny had made for her. The filly loved it so much that she hardly took it off and she wore it so often, every day in fact, that everypony in the village had started to call her Little Red Prancing Hood.

One sunny day, Little Red Prancing Hood heard that her Granny was sick with a bad cold and she wanted to pay the old mare a visit. So Little Red's mother packed up a basket with some freshly baked apple goodies and a large jug of crisp apple cider, Granny's favorites. She gave the basket to her daughter and told her,

"Little Red Prancin' Hood, I need ya to take this basket of apple goodies and cider over to Granny's house. She's sick in bed and awfully weak; these'll do her some real good. And on your way there, I want ya to go quickly, stay on the path, and _don't_ talk to strangers. The forest can be _very_ dangerous, especially for little fillies and colts. So be sure to be _extra_ careful."

"Don't worry 'bout me, mama. I'm a big pony now; I promise I'll be careful." Little Red said confidently.

Little Red's Granny lived in a small cottage on the other side of the dense forest; she knew it would be a very long way to walk, but the filly felt she was up for it. Although Little Red Prancing Hood was a sweet and friendly filly at heart, she was known to be rather inquisitive and always get a little distracted. After waving her mother goodbye, the little filly in red was out the door and on her way to her Granny's house, holding the little wicker basket by the handle in her mouth. But Little Red would've been much more careful if she listened to her mother's advice.

Little Red Prancing Hood was making her way through the ominous yet peaceful forest with a smile on her face and a skip in her step while humming a happy country tune to herself. All around her leaves rustled and animals stirred, but she wasn't afraid because she travelled the forest many times with either her mother or her Granny and she never came across any danger.

But after an hour or so of walking, Little Red Prancing Hood suddenly found herself in a very unusual part of the forest. She soon began to hear rustling in the trees and bushes around her, but it didn't frighten her; she figured that it was just a small animal or bird of some sort and shrugged it off. Little Red stopped in her tracks when she felt a rough finger tap her left shoulder. Her ears perked up when she heard a deep male voice she didn't recognize say:

"Hello, little filly."

Little Red quickly turned around, looked up, and let out a tiny gasp when she discovered the source of the voice; it was a tall, abnormal-looking creature called a draconequus. The filly was quite surprised; she had never seen a beast like this before and she didn't know how wicked and dangerous such a creature can be.

"Oh! Um… h-h-howdy, m-m-mister…" Little Red stuttered hesitantly, taking a small step away from the stranger in fear.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I only wanted to say hello." The creature said sweetly. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Discord. And what is _your_ name?"

"Oh, uh… Little Red Prancin' Hood." The filly calmly answered, no longer afraid. "It's nice to meet ya, Mr. Discord."

"A pleasure to meet _you_ , Miss Hood. And, might I ask, wherever are you going in this deep, dark, spooky forest all by yourself?" Discord politely asked.

"To my Granny's house. She's sick with a bad cold so I'm gonna go visit her today to cheer her up." Little Red naïvely replied.

"To Granny's house, eh? How thoughtful of you. And what might be in your basket?" Discord asked, slowly lifting the cloth covering the basket to take a look inside.

"Some apple sweets I made with my mama." The filly replied, covering up the basket again. "There's some pie, fritters, tarts, cake, bread with zap apple jam, and a jug of apple cider. They're for Granny so she'll have somethin' good to help make her feel better."

"Is that so? And where might your Granny live?" Discord asked, greedily licking his lips and stroking his beard with his claw.

"A good fifteen minutes' walk from here; her house stands under a few big apple trees in a small clearing on the other side of the forest, ya can't miss it."

"You don't say! I'll be sure to keep that in mind… And your Granny, does she live alone?"

"Yeah, she does. That's why I have to hurry and get to her house before sunset; nopony else is there to look after her. Plus, she could _really_ use some company."

"I'll bet she could." Discord said, nodding his head.

Then an evil thought suddenly formed in the draconequus's twisted mind; he smiled a mischievous grin at the filly.

"You know, Little Red, there are _still_ plenty of hours left in this beautiful day. What's your hurry?" He asked slyly.

"Mama told me not to leave the path or talk to strangers." Little Red said; Discord snarled at her under his breath. "Sorry, Mr. Discord, but I really should get goin' now."

Discord paused and pondered over his situation, trying to think of a plan to stall Little Red Prancing Hood as he watched her trot away with her basket of treats in tow. His mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loudly; he hadn't eaten in several days, but he knew he had to wait for the precise moment to pounce.

"A little filly as sweet as that would make a perfect, delectable little morsel and would taste _so_ much better than the older pony." He said to himself, licking his lips and smiling wickedly. "I'll have to be smart and catch them both. But how am I going to do that?"

And soon enough, Discord had figured out a clever yet sinister plan to distract the filly in red.

"Little Red Prancing Hood, wait!" Discord called before teleporting in front of the filly, who cried out in fright. "How much do you love your Granny?"

"…A whole bunch." Little Red said, curiously looking back up at the draconequus. "Why?"

"Look over there." Discord said, wrapping his paw around the filly's shoulder and pointing a claw at a grove of flowers. "I just thought that maybe your Granny might like some lovely flowers. Oh! And have you not noticed the sun shining? Or even the birds singing their songs? It's such a beautiful scene, don't you think so?"

"I guess. It _is_ real pretty… But, no. My mama said not to—" Little Red said before being cut off.

"Now I understand you don't want to disobey your mother, but I'm certain she won't mind if you take just a _little_ while longer. Like I said before, the sun won't set for _hours_ and you know perfectly well what flowers are like for picking up the spirits when you're sick."

A sly grin spread across Discord's face as he spoke and looked at Little Red. While looking at the flowery meadow and listening to the birds' song, Little Red Prancing Hood's eyes brightened and she smiled a wide grin.

"You know what? …You're _right_! I bet Granny would _love_ some flowers!" Little Red exclaimed.

"Then it's settled; mustn't dilly dally now, my dear." Discord chuckled, gently shoving the filly towards the meadow with the end of his tail. "Granny will want a nice big, fresh bouquet. And be sure to give my best wishes to your Granny. I do hope she tastes— Oh! I-I-I-I mean… _feels_ better soon."

"Gotcha. Bye-bye, Mr. Discord." Little Red said with an innocent smile as she waved goodbye.

"Goodbye, little one. And take your time." Discord replied, slowly waving goodbye back.

Little Red Prancing Hood stepped off the path to pick flowers without a care but as she did so, Discord quickly followed the path until he came across a little cottage sitting in a tiny clearing on the other end. He looked around and noticed the apple trees surrounding the property; this was definitely Granny's house. Before he walked to the door, Discord quickly picked an apple from one of the few trees with his tail and he ate it up in one bite. After chewing and swallowing the slightly sour fruit, he approached the little house and gently knocked on the door with his paw.

"Huh? Oh, who is that? Who's there?" An elderly voice asked; it was Granny.

"It's me Granny, Little Red Prancin' Hood." Discord answered, raising his voice's pitch to sound like the filly.

"…Who?"

Discord covered his eyes with his claw in annoyance.

"Oh, for crying out loud. It's Little Red, your granddaughter. I brought you some goodies and cider. Can ya open the door? Please, pretty please?"

Little Red's Granny, being quite hard of hearing, heard nothing wrong with the voice and she thought it really was her beloved granddaughter.

"Oh, Lil' Red! Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice, young'un. I'm too sick to get outta bed, but the door's unlocked. You can just come on in." She called out; Discord smiled.

'She doesn't suspect a thing.' He thought. 'Oh, Discord. You've outdone yourself.'

While licking his lips and wagging his tail, Discord carefully opened the door and entered the tiny cottage. Once he was inside, he looked and saw the bedroom door slightly ajar. He approached it and peered inside with one eye. When he looked into the room, Discord saw the old pony lying in bed with a heavy quilt covering her body and a silken nightcap atop her head. He opened the door a little wider as he heard the mare let out a sneeze and a cough.

"Afternoon, Granny." Discord said in a high pitch; his breath smelled of apples.

"Good afternoon, lil' seed. Ooh, howdy! I think I can smell your basket of goodies from over here. Sure smells good." The old mare naïvely giggled, smelling the creature's apple breath; she was clearly fooled by the voice.

The hungry draconequus grinned and chuckled wickedly to her reply.

"It's not the only thing…"

After letting out a frightening growl, Discord spread his wings, pushed the bedroom door wide open, and leapt across the room towards Granny who let out a shocked gasp followed by a terrified scream.

A short while had passed and Little Red Prancing Hood finally made her way to her Granny's house with her basket of apple treats, cider, and a large bouquet of flowers. But as she approached the cottage with an eager bound, she was surprised to see the door standing open and she paused.

'Hey. Why is the door open?' She thought, raising an eyebrow. 'That's weird. Usually, I feel pretty excited about comin' to visit Granny. But now I… Maybe it's nothin'. Yeah, probably just my imagination. That's all…'

Although she was a little skeptical about going at first, Little Red shrugged her shoulders, calmly walked up to the little cottage and gently knocked on the door frame.

"Afternoon, Granny." She called, but heard no reply.

She only heard the sound of a bed creaking, no voice. She pushed the door open wider, invited herself into the house, and looked around.

"Granny? Ya home? It's me, Little Red. I brought you some goodies and cider." She called.

"Come in, my dearie." A raspy voice called out.

The voice was odd; it was a bit too deep and it was a little muffled, but Little Red went towards it. Upon entering the bedroom, though it was very dark, she could just barely see Granny lying in bed with the heavy quilt covering her entire body and the nightcap covering her whole face. But what Little Red didn't realize was that this wasn't her Granny at all. It was Discord! He had gobbled up the old mare, stolen her nightgown and cap, and hidden under the covers of her bed hoping to trick the filly. The moment Little Red went inside the bedroom, Discord quickly used his magic to close the bedroom door behind the filly with a loud slam. At first, Little Red was startled but she quickly ignored it.

"There you are, Granny. How are ya feelin'?" Little Red asked, slowly walking towards the bed.

"Ooh, simply awful." Discord replied before giving a false cough.

"Aw, ya poor thing. Ya _sound_ awful, too. Well, don't worry. I brought you some apple sweets, cider, and flowers to help ya feel better lickety split."

"Oh? Well, land sakes! How sweet you are. Thank ya, lil' seed."

"You're welcome, Granny. Happy to help."

After Little Red put her flowers in a vase and set her basket down, she soon looked around and noticed how dark it was.

"Hey, it's pretty dark in here. Should I open the curtains or light some candles?" She asked.

"Oh no-no-no-no-no-no! There's no need for you to do that! I like it dark, dear. For now, you can just leave the lights _off_!" Discord protested through gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright! Whatever you say, don't get angry at me!" Little Red cried in fear.

"Thank you."

"Uh, no problem."

"Oh, before ya go ahead and gimme those apple treats… can ya please come into bed with me, my sweet lovely lil' blossom? I just want to see your pretty little face."

"Oh, sure thing, Granny."

Unaware of the impending danger, Little Red smiled and trotted to her Granny's bedside and hopped into bed right next to Discord. As she snuggled under the covers beside the disguised draconequus, she looked up at him in much greater detail and she hesitated to get any closer.

"Is somethin' wrong, lil' one?" Discord asked.

"Wha'? Oh. No, no, no. Nothin's wrong, Granny." The filly answered. "It's just… you're lookin' awful funny."

Little Red Prancing Hood blinked a few times, she quickly noticed her "Granny's" appearance and a frightening chill ran up her back. She gulped and shivered a little in fright.

"Granny, what big ears you've got…" Little Red said.

"The better to hear you with, my dear." Discord cooed.

"Granny, what big eyes you've got…"

"The better to see you with, my dear."

"Granny, what big hooves you've got…"

"The better to hug you with, my dear."

"Granny… what a terrible, big, wet mouth you've got!" Little Red gasped.

"The better… to _eat_ you with, my dear!" Discord roared, pouncing onto the screaming filly.

And with a single bound, Discord had gobbled up Little Red Prancing Hood in one big gulp. And with his belly full and his appetite appeased, Discord quickly took to bed for a nice long nap.

A few hours had passed. It was sunset and the draconequus was still sound asleep, snoring heavily. The creature's snores were so loud that they quickly caught the attention of a tiny Pegasus colt named Featherweight who was passing by.

"Wow. Sounds like a hibernating dragon in there." He said to himself.

Another thought popped into the colt's head.

"That's weird." He said. "I've _never_ heard that old mare snore like that before… In fact, I don't think I've heard her snore at all. Is she okay in there?"

But just as he was starting to walk away, Featherweight suddenly heard a deep, loud belch from inside the little house that made him jump.

"Maybe not…" He whispered, looking back with a terrified look in his widened eyes.

Even though he was scared out of his wits, Featherweight decided to investigate. As he came to the door, he saw it open and entered the cottage as cautiously as possible. He followed the loud snoring right into the bedroom and though he could hardly see in the dim light, Featherweight thought he saw Little Red's Granny sleeping peacefully.

'Oh! She must be napping. Maybe I should go and let her sleep.' He thought before he nearly tripped over the rug. 'If I could find my way out of here that is.'

It was far too dark for him to find his way out, so he decided to open the curtains to let in some light. And as he opened the curtains and the light from the dying sunset poured into the room, he turned to look at the bed and saw something that didn't look quite right. Featherweight slowly hovered towards the bed and looked at the oddly shaped figure, then he grabbed the quilt with his teeth and pulled it away. He turned around and nearly screamed in terror at what was there. Featherweight saw Discord lying in bed sound asleep wearing Granny's nightgown and cap with a bulging belly and a tiny shred of red cloth hanging in the corner of his mouth. The colt also heard strange muffled noises coming from within the creature's stomach; they almost sounded like cries for help. Featherweight took the red fabric from Discord's jaw; he realized something.

"Oh no! You couldn't have eaten Granny… _and_ Little Red, _too_!?" He whispered in shock.

Wasting no time, Featherweight took a pair of scissors from the nightstand and carefully cut open Discord's stomach. A red cloak popped out followed by Little Red Prancing Hood climbing out, gasping and wheezing for air and after her crawled out Granny a bit shaken, but still well.

"Sweet applesauce, that was so scary! How dark and dank it was inside that old beast!" Little Red said, trying not to wake up the sleeping draconequus.

"You okay, Little Red?" Featherweight asked, gently helping the filly out.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine." She breathed before tightly wrapping her forelegs around him in a hug. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Featherweight!"

Little Red rewarded her savior with a big kiss on the cheek; the colt smiled sheepishly in response as his face turned bright red.

"Thank Celestia! We're saved!" Granny cried, taking her cap off of Discord's head and hugging her granddaughter tightly.

"Oh, Granny! I'm so glad you're okay!" Little Red cried, embracing the old pony back.

"Ya got that right, Little Red! I'm glad _you're_ okay, too." Granny turned her head to face Featherweight and she shook his tiny hoof. "Son, you saved our lives! You're a hero!"

"Wow. Gee, thanks." Featherweight giggled sheepishly.

"Uh, guys? What are we gonna do with Discord? What if he wakes up and tries to attack us again?" Little Red asked, worriedly looking back at the draconequus.

"Oh, him? Don't ya worry 'bout that varmint, young'un; I've got somethin' _special_ in mind for _him_." Granny smiled slyly. "Listen up, you two; I want ya'll to go out and get me some big ol' rocks. We're gonna teach this Big Bad Draconequus a little lesson."

Little Red Prancing Hood and Featherweight looked at each other in slight confusion before nodding their heads and running outside to gather up as many stones as they can carry, just as Granny had instructed them to do. And when they came back inside with enough rocks and stones in their hooves, they quickly filled Discord's belly with the rocks and Granny sewed him shut as best she could. When Discord finally woke up minutes later, he saw Featherweight hovering over him.

"Hey, big guy." The colt said nonchalantly.

Discord was so surprised that he jumped out of bed and tried to run away, but the rocks that were inside him were so heavy that they slowed his every step while causing him pain. Once Discord disappeared into the dark forest, Granny, Little Red, and Featherweight celebrated with the basket of apple treats and cider together.

That day, Little Red Prancing Hood had learned to always stick to the path and not to talk to strangers of any kind, no matter how friendly or nice they might appear at first. And as for Discord, right after he got all of the stones out of him, he decided that he would never do a wicked deed like that ever again. And they all lived happily ever after.


	3. Raritunzel

Once upon a time in a charming house in the big city, there lived a happy, loving married couple. Their names were Cadance and Shining Armor and they wanted children for many years. One day, they realized that their wish was going to come true; they were going to have a child. The couple lived right next door to an enormous garden, but nopony dared to go near it because it belonged to a mare named Tempest Shadow. She was a unicorn who possessed a broken horn, but also great magical powers far beyond anyone's control. Because of these powers, she was often called a witch by the locals.

Almost every day when she finished her daily chores, Cadance would sit at the window in her bedroom and gaze at the beautiful plants and flowers that grew in the witch's garden next door. She desperately wanted to have a taste of at least some of the luscious greenery and vegetables but because of her neighbor's rude and selfish behavior, she was never able to.

One night, Cadance had grown ill. Shining Armor stayed close at his wife's side every waking moment, caring for her as best as he could but no matter what he tried, Cadance was never getting any better. In fact, it seemed like she was getting worse every day.

"Please, Cadance. What is it I can do to make you feel better?" Shining Armor asked, desperately concerned for his wife's well-being.

"Shining Armor. Listen to me, please. I need you to do something very, _very_ important for me." Cadance said weakly.

"Anything, dear. Name it and it's done." Shining Armor said.

"If… if I don't have even a taste of some of the radishes from our neighbor's garden soon, I'll die." Cadance said as she weakly stroked her husband's mane with her hoof.

Shining Armor looked at his wife; she looked so weak and pale, she had to be serious.

"Alright, darling. If it's radishes you want, radishes you'll have." He said as he kissed his wife's forehead.

That night, Shining Armor went outside towards his neighbor's property to get his wife the radishes she craved. He climbed over the high stone wall that surrounded the piece of land and he entered the garden as quietly as he could. As soon as he entered, he was overtaken by the wondrous sight.

There was a manner of all plants including fruits, vegetables, and herbs of all kinds. And soon enough, he spotted the special radishes near a wall of purple grape vines. But just as he was just about to grab some and run, in a green flash, the Witch appeared right in front of him with an enraged expression on her face. He let out a cry in fright as he backed away from her.

"Hold it right there! How dare you steal from my garden!" The mare shrieked in anger. "Unless you have a very good excuse, you _will_ pay for your crimes!"

Shining Armor stood tall in front of the mare before him.

"Please don't harm me, madam," He calmly pleaded. "These radishes are for my wife, Cadance. She's with child and she told me that she needs to eat some of the radishes from your garden or she'll die. So, can I please—?"

"Alright, alright! I get it!" The Witch yelled in an annoyed tone, then composed herself and spoke to him in a calm tone. Then she thought of something before continuing her statement.

"You know what, Mr. Armor? I'll give you a deal. As of right now, you can take as many of my radishes as you like, but on _one_ condition."

"Really? What is it?" Shining Armor slowly asked.

"In exchange, you must give me something precious to you."

"What do you want?"

"I want the child."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Either you give me the baby after it's born or else."

Shining Armor was shocked; he would never stoop so low as to make a deal like that and give away his only child. But he was so desperate to save his wife that he agreed to the mare's demands and he left the garden with his saddlebag full of radishes. He returned home and he brought the radishes to his wife; when they were brought to her, Cadance ate them all with great pleasure. To her, they tasted so sweet with the slightest hint of spice, probably the best thing she ever tasted.

"Darling, I have terrible news. The Witch just caught me in her garden." Shining Armor said.

"That's horrible! What did she do to you?" Cadance asked, finishing off the radishes.

"She let me have the radishes, but she wants our foal in return." He admitted. "I'm so sorry, but there was nothing else I could do."

The two ponies shared a hug before weeping onto each other's shoulders. However, they were determined to keep their unborn child safe from the Witch at all costs. After several months, their baby was finally born. The foal was a beautiful white unicorn filly with purple curled hair and deep blue eyes. But shortly after the child was born, Tempest stormed into the couple's home, took the child in her hooves, gave the baby the name Raritunzel, and took the little infant filly away with her.

Over the years, Tempest had treated Raritunzel very kindly and loved her as if she were her own daughter. She gave the unicorn every luxury and comfort she desired. Raritunzel enjoyed spending time with Tempest thinking she was her true mother and she loved designing and sewing new clothes for them both. When Raritunzel was twelve years old, the Witch brought her to the top of a high stone tower in the middle of the Everfree Forest. The room at the top didn't have any doors or any stairs; only one window.

The years passed and during that time, Tempest never cut Raritunzel's mane or tail. They both grew longer and longer and longer, long enough to reach the ground outside. And every day, the Witch would go to the tower to visit Raritunzel. And every time Tempest came to the tower, she would shout:

"Raritunzel! Raritunzel! Let down your hair!"

And Raritunzel would lower her mane or her tail out the window and the Witch would climb up and up all the way to the window. In her tower room, Raritunzel would usually make clothes for herself or Tempest or sadly sing to herself.

She wanted to go out into the world beyond the tower and the forest, explore the land, and make friends, but the Witch had always said no to this one desire; she wanted to keep the young mare all to herself. Poor Raritunzel; she couldn't escape from her tower prison and she was as lonely as a pony could be. That is until one fateful day, all of that would change.

A young unicorn prince named Trend was out for a calm walk in the forest when he came upon the tower. He heard Raritunzel singing from the tower, it sounded so clear and beautiful that he had to find out who was singing. He hid behind a large tree to see what would happen; then, he caught sight of the Witch.

"Raritunzel! Raritunzel! Let down your hair!" She shouted.

Prince Trend then saw Raritunzel's mane fall to the ground in front of the Witch and he saw her climb up the wall and to the top. As he watched her climb, his jaw dropped in wonder; he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. He waited patiently for the Witch to leave and after thirty minutes or so, she did. The moment she was out of sight and ear shot, Prince Trend quietly walked over to the tower and looked up.

"Raritunzel! Raritunzel! Let down your hair!" He shouted.

And like a purple waterfall, Raritunzel's tail fell down to the ground at Prince Trend's hooves. Quick as a wink, he climbed up the tower until he reached the window at the top. And when he did, he made his way into the room and he saw Raritunzel standing in front of him. He thought she was the most beautiful unicorn mare he had ever seen. Raritunzel was surprised; she had never seen a real stallion before and she didn't know what to do.

"Oh, good heavens! Who are _you_?" Raritunzel asked, quickly backing away from him in fear. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm terribly sorry, miss. My name is Prince Trend. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I just heard you singing while I was on a walk in the forest and… I had to see you for myself." Prince Trend said before bowing his head in a chivalrous manner.

"A prince, you say? Oh my! Well… it's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Trend." Raritunzel replied, smiling and blushing.

Afterwards, Raritunzel and the Prince began to talk with each other; they talked and laughed for hours, realizing how much they had in common with each other. And they immediately began to grow feelings of affection towards each other. And soon after, they gave their vows to each other, and from that day on, they considered themselves each other's very special somepony. When it was time for the Prince to leave, Raritunzel let down her tail and he safely slid down to the ground without being seen.

"Promise me you'll come back tomorrow when mother isn't around!" Raritunzel called, blowing a kiss to the stallion.

"Of course, my dear!" The Prince called back from below before disappearing into the trees.

After that, the Prince came to visit Raritunzel every day while Tempest was gone. The more the two ponies saw each other, the more they loved each other. Prince Trend felt more and more determined to rescue Raritunzel from the tower every time he came to visit, but he and Raritunzel both knew the Witch would never allow it. So he knew he had to come up with a plan to rescue his love and bring her into the world.

One day, when the Witch returned to the tower, Raritunzel rubbed her flank and, without thinking, said to her,

"Oh, mother. Please don't take offense, but why are you so heavy? My Prince certainly weighs less."

Suddenly, the realization of her foolish comment dawned over the young mare in horror immediately after she said it; she gasped in fright, covered her mouth with her hooves, and she shut her eyes in terror. Tempest's eyes widened before she winced, a glint of rage in her eyes; her broken horn sparking with magic as she started to glare daggers at her daughter.

" _What_!?" She screamed. "You little snitch! You betrayed me! Just for that, I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."

"What? Mother? W-w-w-what are you doing?" Raritunzel asked, backing away from the Witch in terror. "Mother, no! Leave me alone!"

In a fit of jealous rage, the Witch grabbed a pair of scissors and cut Raritunzel's mane and tail with them, Raritunzel screaming and crying at her to stop. And then, she banished her to a swamp in the farthest part of the Everfree Forest. Just like that, Raritunzel was gone.

The next day, Prince Trend came back to the tower and shouted:

"Raritunzel! Raritunzel! Let down your hair!"

The Witch lowered Raritunzel's cut mane and tail down to the clueless Prince and he climbed up, unaware of the impending danger. When he finally reached the window, he was shocked to see Tempest Shadow herself standing there instead of the mare he loved.

"Surprised?" The Witch asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling wickedly.

" _You_!? What did you do with Raritunzel?!" The Prince angrily demanded.

"It doesn't matter what I did with her, you'll probably find out sooner or later. And by the way, those glasses won't help you anymore." The Witch chuckled, letting go of Raritunzel's hair.

At that moment, the poor stallion fell from the high window. He crash landed face first in some bushes at the bottom of the tower, but its sharp branches, barbs, and thorns severely scratched his face and eyes, which tragically left him blind.

"My eyes… I-I-I can't see." He muttered as he shakily rose, rubbing his face with his hoof.

"Ha! That'll teach you not to mess with _me_! Now you'll never see Raritunzel ever again!" The Witch cackled triumphantly from the top of the tower.

After his love and sight were taken away, the Prince was lost in his own misery. After a while, he gathered himself up and went searching for Raritunzel. He wandered the forest on hoof aimlessly searching for his lost love, but was never able to find her. Finally, after several weeks, Prince Trend came upon a swamp somewhere in the forest and he heard something he thought would never hear again. He heard Raritunzel's sorrowful singing.

"Raritunzel? Raritunzel! Where are you?" He called out.

"What? Trend? Trend! Is that you?" Raritunzel asked, looking for the familiar voice.

"Raritunzel! I hear you! Where are you?" The Prince called out again.

Raritunzel whipped her head around and she saw her beloved prince stumbling towards her. She gasped, an overjoyed smile plastered on her face.

"Trend! It _is_ you! My prince! I'm over here!" She cried happily, tears of joy running down her dirty face. "Don't worry, darling, I'm coming!"

Raritunzel galloped over to her dear Prince Trend and she held him in her forelegs tightly once she made her way to him. Raritunzel was so happy to see her love again that she covered his face with kisses and cradled his head in her hooves. But when she saw his scratched face and his bandaged eyes, she gasped.

"What has happened to you?" She asked.

"Your mother happened to me… she's a _witch_. She blinded me back at the tower. I can't see because of her. But that doesn't matter now; I found you and that's all that matters." The Prince said, stroking Raritunzel's messy cut mane with his hoof.

"Oh, Trend. I can't believe it. How could she do this to you? I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, my love. Please don't cry."

"I can't help it."

Raritunzel was so sad about what happened to Trend that she started to weep, holding his head close to her chest. As she cried, her tears fell down her face and dropped onto the Prince's face. And like magic, his vision was restored. He looked up at her.

"Raritunzel? …I can see you again. I don't believe it, but it's true!" Prince Trend exclaimed, embracing the mare tightly.

"Oh, Trend! My sweet, darling Prince! It's a miracle! I'm so happy you're okay!" Raritunzel cried, hugging him back and sobbing onto his shoulder.

"I'm just so glad I've finally found you again! Never, ever leave my side."

"Never, _ever_ again."

The prince was so ecstatic to see his love again that he pulled her in close and passionately kissed her full on the lips. Prince Trend then took Raritunzel back to his home in the grand city of Canterlot. There, Raritunzel was reunited with her birth parents, which missed her terribly since the fateful day she left. Soon, she was wed to her precious Prince and was crowned princess. And as for the Witch, she was never seen or heard from since and nopony knows where she is today.

And from that day on, Raritunzel and her Prince lived happily ever after.


	4. CinderSparkle

Once upon a time in a far away kingdom, there lived a gentle and modest widowed merchant and his daughter who was an intelligent filly with a kind heart and sweet disposition; this made her beloved by her father and everypony else she knew. As time went by, the filly grew lovelier as her father grew lonelier. Since his first wife passed away many years ago, he had been looking for another mare to wed so that he could give his daughter a new mother figure.

One day, he met Lady Adagio Dazzle, a mare with two daughters of her own, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze. The merchant married Lady Dazzle and he introduced her to his daughter as her new stepmother. On the outside, Lady Dazzle was a poised, well-known mare of keen feeling and refined taste; however she spent most of her time doting on her two daughters, spoiling them until they were just as vile, selfish, vain, and rotten as she was. Despite her many attempts, the young mare was never able to grow close to her new stepmother.

One stormy night, the merchant grew horribly ill. His faithful daughter stayed by his side every moment, caring for him to the best of her abilities while his new wife kept her distance. He declared his undying love for his daughter before sadly passing away.

This made Lady Dazzle grow jealous of her Alicorn stepdaughter and a new hatred for the young mare formed in her ice-cold, black heart. She seized the family fortune and spent it all on her daughters, relieving the house staff of their responsibilities and forcing the Alicorn to become a servant in her own home. Despite her stepfamily being so cruel to her, the young mare kept her kind heart, generous nature, and loving spirit. She did the cooking and cleaning around the house without speaking one word of complaint or contempt.

Sometimes when it was too cold in the drafty attic where she slept, the mare would sleep by the amber glow of the dying fire of the hearth to keep warm and the ashes would blow over her body, covering her coat and face in a fresh blanket of dust and ashes and making her look gray and dirty whenever she woke up the next morning. The three mares would make fun of the poor pony so much that they started calling her CinderSparkle. Despite the insults, chores, and occasional beatings, CinderSparkle always looked on the bright side of things and secretly wished that someday this nightmare would come to an end and she would finally be happy.

One morning, CinderSparkle was scrubbing the floor of the foyer when she heard a knock at the door. She curiously opened it to see one of the king's royal messengers standing before her. The messenger loudly blasted a trumpet in her face before announcing:

"HEAR YE! HEAR YE! THEIR MAJESTIES, THE KING AND QUEEN—"

Before she could finish, CinderSparkle interrupted the messenger by clearing her throat and saying,

"You don't have to shout, I'm right here. I can hear every word you're saying just fine."

"Whoops." The messenger apologized before giving a scroll with the royal seal to CinderSparkle and saying, "Their Majesties, the King and Queen have requested all eligible mares to attend a Grand Gala tomorrow evening in honor of their only son, the Prince where he might select a bride."

"A Gala?! Tomorrow night?!" CinderSparkle exclaimed as she held the invitation in her magical embrace; her eyes wide with excitement. "This is fantastic! I have to tell stepmother right away! Thank you very much!"

The messenger smiled, nodded, picked up her trumpet, and happily skipped off to the next house where CinderSparkle could hear her blowing her trumpet loudly in somepony else's ears. She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smirk before closing the door behind her. CinderSparkle was so excited about the Gala that she didn't even notice the dark glares her stepfamily was giving her when she barged in on their breakfast to tell them the news.

"CinderSparkle, what in the name of Equestria are you doing?! You know not to interrupt our meals like this!" Lady Dazzle scolded.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, Stepmother. I didn't mean to barge in, I was just—" CinderSparkle stuttered.

"Hey, what's that?" Sonata asked, seeing the scroll.

"Let me see it!" Aria said as she took the scroll from her stepsister.

"Hey! Let go of that!" "No! Gimme that back! I wanna see it!" "I saw it first!" "No, I saw it first!" "It's _my_ turn!" "No, it's _my_ turn!" "Is not!" "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!"

As the two ponies continued to argue over the scroll, Lady Dazzle calmly took the invitation from her two daughters with her magic, opened it, and read it silently to herself. As she read, she gasped to herself as her eyes seemed to brighten every few seconds. The moment she finished reading the scroll, she excitedly stood from her chair and smiled.

"Sweet Celestia! This is _wonderful_ news! Our big chance!" She exclaimed before turning her attention to her daughters. "Girls. Girls! GIRLS! Stop fighting! It's a message from the _palace_!"

"The PALACE?!" Sonata and Aria cried; their arguing abruptly stopping.

"Yes, it's true! The King and Queen are inviting us to a Gala tomorrow evening! It's for the Prince to find a _bride_!" Lady Dazzle answered, holding up the invitation with her magic.

"A _BRIDE_?!" Sonata and Aria excitedly squealed.

The three ponies cheered and jumped for joy at the prospect of meeting and possibly being wed to the Prince himself. CinderSparkle cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Uh, Stepmother? Did you read the part about _every_ eligible mare being invited?" She asked.

All too soon, the room went quiet. Lady Dazzle broke the silence by glaring at her stepdaughter as she grumbled,

"Yes, I did… Why?"

"No reason. But, I was just thinking… can _I_ go to the Gala, too?" CinderSparkle asked, a bashful look on her face.

" _You?!_ Go to the _Gala_?!" Sonata and Aria scoffed; Lady Dazzle put her hoof over her face and closed her eye as she shook her head.

"Have you lost your mind, CinderSparkle?!" Sonata said.

"What would a Prince want with an ugly servant pony like _you_?!" Aria added.

"But, I just thought—" The Alicorn started before hearing her stepmother's voice.

"Girls, enough." Lady Dazzle ordered before looking back at her stepdaughter. "Well, let's see, CinderSparkle. How do I put this delicately? …No."

She gave CinderSparkle a cruel glare and smiled wickedly; her daughters following suit. The room was quiet again. CinderSparkle's hopeful smile suddenly twisted into a disappointed frown and her eyes softened.

"What? But-but… but why, Stepmother?" CinderSparkle asked.

"Is it not obvious, dear? You're all raggedy and filthy. You can't go to the Gala dressed like this. Everypony would just laugh at you if you came in these old things. And we wouldn't want that, would we? You stay put, Gala out. No. Bye, bye. End of subject." Lady Dazzle said bluntly.

Sonata and Aria laughed harshly at their disappointed stepsister. CinderSparkle looked at herself with a shameful expression and sighed; her stepmother was right. Lady Dazzle and her daughters soon went back into the house to pick out their outfits for the Gala.

"CinderSparkle! Come here! NOW!" Lady Dazzle demanded; the dusty Alicorn nervously followed close behind the group of three.

The next day, CinderSparkle helped her stepmother and stepsisters get ready for the Gala that night. There was a lot of primping, grooming, and dressing involved and it was very difficult. And when her chores were done and everypony was ready to go, CinderSparkle couldn't help but feel sadder as she watched her stepfamily prep themselves; she knew she could never be as lovely as them. Then it was time to head to the palace.

"We'll be out very late, I'm sure." Lady Dazzle said to CinderSparkle as she and her daughters stood in the open doorway.

"So try not to do anything stupid while we're gone." Aria commented.

"And clean up while you're at it." Sonata added.

"Well, I hope you have a good time." CinderSparkle said.

"You know we will. Come on, girls; the Prince awaits. Oh! And one more thing, CinderSparkle… don't follow us. Have fun."

And with that being said, the three wicked mares left the house for the Gala, locking the door behind them so CinderSparkle couldn't follow. The moment the three mares were out of sight, the Alicorn couldn't help but feel very somber when she was left alone. Sadly, CinderSparkle gazed out the window at the shimmering castle in the distance. She sighed as she leaned on her hoof on the window sill, she felt like crying at this point. As she looked at the castle, she saw a falling star soar across the sky and made a wish.

"I wish… I wish I could go to the Gala." CinderSparkle said before throwing herself onto the floor and sobbing to herself.

CinderSparkle was just about to give up all hope when all of a sudden, a bright light shown into the room only she was too sad to notice. When the light disappeared, a hoof from somewhere unknown reached out and tenderly gave the crying Alicorn's back a pat.

"Don't cry, it's alright. Not all hope is lost." An unfamiliar voice said.

CinderSparkle abruptly lifted her head from the floor and looked around for the source. Then she noticed the hoof on her shoulder. She gasped, stood up, looked behind her, and there standing before her was a mysterious and beautiful mare she had never seen before. CinderSparkle gasped and stepped back in surprise.

"No, no. I won't hurt you. It's okay, CinderSparkle." The mare said reassuringly.

Scared and dumbfounded, CinderSparkle asked, "H-how do you know my name? Who are you?"

"Who am I? I thought that would've been pretty obvious. I'm your Fairy Godmother."

"Fairy…? But-but-but… I didn't know I had a Fairy Godmother!"

"Of course you do! _Everypony_ does… Well, at least ponies who _truly_ deserve our help."

"Help?"

"Of course, that's why I'm here. I'm here to grant your wish… to _help_ you to go to the Gala."

"The Gala? You mean it?"

"Yes. Now before I do anything, I'll need some supplies. Can you get me an apple real quick?"

"An _apple_? Uh… sure. Yes, of course."

CinderSparkle was clearly confused by this strange request, but she didn't want to argue. So she retrieved an apple from a fruit bowl sitting on a table and held it up to her Godmother.

"Perfect. Now just set that on the floor in front of me and… you might want to take a few steps back for this." The Fairy said.

CinderSparkle nodded and slowly backed away from the apple while her Godmother stood above it. The Fairy closed her eyes and activated her magic before the apple on the floor was engulfed in a bright red light and it began to shake, mutate, and morph in kind. It grew larger and larger, hollowing itself out and growing all sorts of new different features. By the time she was done, the apple had been transformed into a beautiful carriage. CinderSparkle gasped in awe, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"There we go. One gorgeous carriage, check." The Fairy said proudly. "Now, do you have any little animals running around here?"

"Yes, we do. We have a few mice or rats around here somewhere, but I never have the heart to hurt them." CinderSparkle replied.

"Great. Do you think you can find some for me?"

"Sure, I think so. But what do you need small animals for?"

"Trust me, nothing bad will happen to them. I promise."

Without missing a beat, four little white mice, a big gray rat, and two sleek green lizards ran out of a hole in the wall right in front of CinderSparkle and stopped at the Fairy's hooves. CinderSparkle took another few steps back as her Godmother curiously inspected the seven little creatures before her.

"Uh… This is a little more than I bargained for, actually." She said, blinking a few times and standing straight again. "Oh well. These should do just fine."

"What are you going to do to them?" CinderSparkle asked.

"Watch."

Fairy Godmother's horn glowed again and this time, her magic transformed the white mice into four stunning white chargers, the rat was turned into an elderly gray stallion with whiskers to drive the carriage, and the two lizards were turned into two dashing pony ushers. The group made their way to the carriage, positioning themselves for the mare's departure. CinderSparkle's eyes widened again as she gaped at the now fully equipped carriage.

"This is perfect. Now you're ready to go." The Fairy said as she gestured her hoof toward the open carriage door.

"What?" CinderSparkle said, looking down at herself, then back at her Godmother. "No, I can't go to the Gala dressed like _this_."

"What? Oh yeah! Yeah! The dress! Sorry, I completely forgot about that part. Okay, just close your eyes and hold still. I promise this won't hurt a bit."

CinderSparkle did as she was told. Once again, the Fairy Godmother activated her magic and a bright red light surrounded the Alicorn as she was lifted into the air. In a big explosion of light, CinderSparkle reappeared wearing a beautiful gown in shades of blue, pink, and purple with her mane done into a sleek, elegant bun and sparkling crystal slippers were on her hooves.

"Okay, CinderSparkle, you can look now." Fairy Godmother said, turning off her magic.

CinderSparkle slowly opened her eyes, excited and afraid to see what had just happened to her. She looked at herself and gasped in awe as she beheld the dress she was wearing.

"Sweet Celestia. I… I… I look incredible! Thank you, Godmother! Thank you so much!" She cried, embracing the Fairy tightly before climbing into her apple carriage. "I'm so excited, this is a dream come true!"

"You're very welcome. I don't go around doing this sort of thing for just _anypony_ , you know." Fairy Godmother said.

Suddenly, CinderSparkle remembered something; Lady Dazzle. "Godmother, what about my stepmother and stepsisters?"

"Oh, them? Don't worry. I'll make sure they don't recognize you."

The Fairy's horn glowed with magic again and added a special silver headband studded with blue gems into CinderSparkle's mane to make it so that her stepfamily wouldn't be able to know who she was.

"Now off you go, for you _shall_ go to the Gala."

"I can't thank you enough for this!"

"Please, don't mention it; I'm _always_ happy to help. Oh, wait! I almost forgot! Like all dreams, this one doesn't last forever. So remember, you _must_ leave the Gala by midnight."

"Midnight? Why? What happens if I'm _not_?"

"Because at the last echo of the last bell of the last stroke of twelve, all of the spells I've cast will be broken and everything will return to what it was before. Do you promise?"

"Don't worry, Godmother. I'll be home by midnight, I promise."

"Good. Now go enjoy yourself. And remember… nopony deserves this more than _you_."

And with that, the Fairy Godmother used her magic to unlock and open the front doors of the house and the apple carriage quickly pulled its way out of the foyer and it began its journey to the castle to the Gala. CinderSparkle smiled excitedly and waved goodbye to her Fairy Godmother as she waved back.

"Oh, I do hope she remembers the curfew. It'll be so embarrassing if she doesn't." The Fairy Godmother muttered to herself before vanishing in a bright red flash.

At the castle, the Gala was in full swing and everypony that was there was having a wonderful time, all except for the Prince himself that is. He wasn't having as much fun as the other guests and he was growing more and more bored with the Gala every minute. Things got so bad for the Prince that his parents thought that he would never find his true love.

"Ugh, this is so boring." The Prince yawned as he stood beside the King and Queen.

"Come on, son. Lighten up." The King said jokingly.

"Yes, dear. There has to be _something_ you find enjoyable… or maybe _somepony_ who probably caught your fancy by now." The Queen added.

"No. I don't even know why you planned this whole thing for me in the first place." The Prince groaned, putting a hoof over his face.

"You know the answer to that. It's for you to find and choose a bride." The King answered.

"Ugh! Not this again! Mom, Dad, I already told you! I don't want—"

But before Prince Sentry could finish his sentence, everything went silent. The Prince looked and he could see the reason why. When CinderSparkle entered the Gala at the top of the staircase and gazed at the ballroom, she couldn't believe her eyes.

'Wow. This is even more beautiful than I imagined.' She thought, a smile creeping onto her lips.

Everypony stopped what they were doing and they all stared at CinderSparkle in awe as she walked down the stairs and into the ballroom. They thought she was the most beautiful and most regal mare they have ever seen and thought of her as a princess, but nopony knew who she was. Not too far away, Prince Sentry took a good look of CinderSparkle and his mouth fell open.

'Who is _that_? She's beautiful.' He thought as his eyes widened with astonishment.

"You were saying?" The Queen asked.

"Son? Are you alright? Son." The King said, nudging Prince Sentry's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." The Prince muttered, not turning his gaze away. "Excuse me."

Prince Sentry spread his wings and made his way to CinderSparkle with single-minded determination; he had never seen a mare so lovely all in his life. Once he had flown in front of her, he bowed his head to her before politely saying:

"Hello."

CinderSparkle turned her head around and she saw probably the most handsome stallion she had ever seen; her eyes widened when she realized he was the Prince.

"How do you do." She politely said before bowing her head.

"Hey, I was just wondering, would you… like to dance?"

"Oh, uh… yes. I'd love to. Thank you."

CinderSparkle smiled and took Prince Sentry's hoof before they made their way to the middle of the dance floor as the lights slowly dimmed for a more romantic setting. Soon, the two began to dance a waltz as the orchestra began to play. CinderSparkle had never learned to dance before, but that didn't seem to stop her from gliding across the marble floor with Prince Sentry at her side. As the two ponies danced, the other mares only stared at them in disappointment and envy, Lady Dazzle and her two daughters more than anypony else.

"Who does that little hussy think she is anyway?! Other ponies want a turn to dance with the Prince too, you know!" Aria protested.

"For once, I _agree_ with you! What a brat!" Sonata shrieked, angrily stomping her hoof on the floor. "Mother, who is she?!"

"I have no idea, girls. But I do know one thing; this definitely does not look good… Wait… have I seen that mare somewhere before?" Lady Dazzle muttered, eying the Alicorn curiously.

"Um, Your Highness? Everypony is staring at us." CinderSparkle whispered.

"Really? I forgot that there was anyone else here." Prince Sentry smiled.

During the course of the evening, CinderSparkle was having the time of her life while gaining the respect and affection of everyone with her natural charm and beauty. And she soon began to grow feelings of affection towards Prince Sentry; he shared the emotion towards her. And eventually, these feelings blossomed into something more. But CinderSparkle was having so much fun that she had completely forgotten her Fairy Godmother's warning. CinderSparkle and the Prince soon made their way out of the bustling ballroom and out onto the balcony.

"I've had an amazing time tonight." Prince Sentry said sheepishly.

"Me too. I'll never forget this." CinderSparkle added.

"Me neither… Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Yes, I love the night. And this view? I don't think things could get any more breathtaking than this."

"Yeah, it's gorgeous. Hey… I just noticed something. You never mentioned your name or who you are throughout the night, not even once. Can you tell me what it is?"

"My name? Oh. Uh… I shouldn't say."

"Why not?"

"Because, well… because I don't even belong here."

"What? Surely, you must be joking. The Gala's in _my_ honor, isn't it? And as far as I'm concerned… _you're_ the only one that _does_ belong here."

CinderSparkle blushed and smiled. The two ponies stared into each other's eyes lovingly while getting closer and closer to each other, their hooves almost touching.

"Now, your name?" Prince Sentry asked.

"Right. My name is—"

But before CinderSparkle could tell Prince Sentry her name, the clock started chiming. She looked at the clock tower and saw that it was twelve o'clock.

"Oh no! Midnight! I'm sorry, but I have to go!" CinderSparkle exclaimed, standing up.

"What? When?" Prince Sentry asked, also standing up.

" _Now_! It's just… really hard to explain. Mice and apples and… and things."

"Say that again?"

"Again, I'm so sorry!"

CinderSparkle quickly kissed Prince Sentry's cheek and ran back into the castle. She galloped through the crowded ballroom and the enormous groups and crowds of ponies as fast as she could, desperately trying to reach the exit. As she continued to run, the Prince ran after her as he pleaded her to stop.

"Wait! Stop! Don't go!"

But CinderSparkle kept on running, her heart beating faster and louder with every haunting toll of the clock tower's enormous bell. Soon enough, she finally made her way out of the ballroom, through the hallways, and down the castle staircase. But while she was running down the stairs, she tripped on the stone and she lost one of her crystal slippers. And when the clock finally struck twelve, the magic had completely worn off and CinderSparkle was back in her old rags.

'Oh no. I'm too late.' She thought, looking at herself shamefully.

"Come back! Where are you going?! Stop, please!" Prince Sentry shouted.

CinderSparkle couldn't risk letting the Prince see her in such a state. Thinking fast, she spread her wings and flew away from the castle as fast as she could and back home with sweat running down her face and tears in her eyes.

Moments later, Prince Sentry finally made his way outside, but to his disappointment, the mysterious mare was already gone. However, he soon discovered CinderSparkle's crystal slipper sitting on the stair. He picked it up and looked at it, thinking of the beautiful stranger who had stolen his heart. Suddenly, he smiled; the slipper had given him an idea.

A proclamation was soon declared that Prince Sentry will only marry the mare whose hoof fits the slipper made of crystal. The next morning, he tried the slipper on the hooves of all of the mares in the land. Unfortunately, he had no luck. For the crystal slipper would fit no pony else, except for its true owner. Then, the Prince came upon the last house on his search; the house of CinderSparkle. His guard chaperone knocked on the door and Lady Dazzle and her daughters answered it. They excitedly smiled when they met the young Pegasus's gaze.

"Prince Sentry! What a surprise!" Sonata happily gasped.

"Please come in. I suppose you've come to make the wedding arrangements for me _or_ my sister to be your new wife?" Aria asked before flipping part of her mane.

"What?! No!" Prince Sentry nervously exclaimed, shaking his head. "When I find the one whose hoof fits this slipper, then _she'll_ be my bride. But I've tried just about everypony else in the kingdom and I'm exhausted. So… it must be one of _you_!"

"Of _course_ , Prince Sentry! Come with us, please!" Sonata cried as she pulled the Prince inside.

"Yeah, yeah! Let's just have a quick look at that shoe." Aria added.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'm sure either of my two gorgeous daughters will be able to slip on it for you. I promise." Lady Dazzle said.

The guard tried the slipper on Sonata, but it was too small for her. The guard tried the slipper on Aria, but it was too small for her, too. Prince Sentry sighed and rubbed his head in exasperation, thinking all hope was lost.

"Are there any other mares in the house?" He asked, hoping for a 'yes'.

"No." Lady Dazzle answered smugly while her two daughters shook their heads.

But as the Prince was about to leave with a broken heart, he heard a voice he didn't recognize call out, "Don't listen to her, she's lying! There's CinderSparkle!"

It was the voice of CinderSparkle's Fairy Godmother. Prince Sentry abruptly stopped in his tracks and looked back at Lady Dazzle and her daughters with a stern look in his eyes.

"I ask you again: is there somepony else in this house?" He asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Um… Oh, no, no, no, Your Highness! I can assure you, there's nopony else here." Lady Dazzle lied, trying to keep her cool.

"With all due respect, madam, I wish to see for myself. Now, if you please…" Prince Sentry calmly protested.

"But Your Highness—"

"I said _now_!"

"Uh, excuse me?" A familiar voice asked. "I don't mean to interrupt, but what's going on out here?"

Prince Sentry, Lady Dazzle, and her daughters turned their heads to see CinderSparkle slowly peek her head out from behind the wall and meekly enter the room. She had been sleeping beside the chimney again and was covered in ashes and soot, making her look nothing like the mysterious princess from the Gala the night before. But even under the dusty and dirty exterior, the young mare looked radiant to Prince Sentry; he smiled as he approached her.

"Are _you_ CinderSparkle?" He asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Yes, I am." She answered, nodding her head.

"Oh, please Your Highness, be real here!" Lady Dazzle said, trying to block CinderSparkle with her foreleg. "This dirty, filthy, mucky little creature is the child her late father left behind. It couldn't be _her_."

"Uh-huh! Plus, she wasn't even _at_ the Gala!" Aria commented.

"Yeah! Don't even think about it! She's revolting!" Sonata added.

"I said in my proclamation that _every_ mare in the land has to try on the slipper." Prince Sentry shouted, his tone stern and calm at the same time.

"Uh… Oh, fine." Lady Dazzle grumbled, letting her stepdaughter pass through. "But I have to warn you, there's no point. You're just wasting your time."

"Yeah. The shoe probably won't fit even if you tried." Sonata commented.

"She's not even worth it." Aria added.

" _I'll_ be the judge of that. May I?" Prince Sentry asked CinderSparkle as he held out his hoof.

"Oh, yes. Of course." CinderSparkle shyly said, taking the Prince's hoof and stepping forward.

So Prince Sentry took the crystal shoe, offered it to the mare, and to his surprise, it slipped onto CinderSparkle's hoof with ease. It fit perfectly! Lady Dazzle, Sonata, and Aria gasped and their eyes widened in shock at the sight.

"No!" Aria cried.

"It can't be!" Lady Dazzle wailed.

"That's impossible!" Sonata screeched.

"It _is_ you… isn't it?" The Prince asked, looking up at CinderSparkle.

"Just so." CinderSparkle simply said, taking out her other crystal slipper and putting it on.

Prince Sentry held CinderSparkle's hooves in his own and smiled at her.

"I've searched the whole day for you. Would you be my bride?" He asked.

"Yes, I will… that is if you'll take me as I am."

"Of course I will, how could I not?"

Prince Sentry wrapped his forelegs around CinderSparkle before they both shared a sweet, romantic kiss, Lady Dazzle, Sonata, and Aria glaring at them all the while.

And so, CinderSparkle's dream had finally come true. She and the Prince were married and she became a princess, never having to take orders and do chores ever again. As for Lady Dazzle and her daughters, even though they apologized, begged, and pleaded to be allowed into the castle with CinderSparkle, an order was quickly sent saying that Lady Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze were to leave the kingdom at once and to never set hoof in the land again. And so, CinderSparkle and Prince Sentry lived happily ever after.


	5. Three Little Pigs and the Diamond Wolf

Once upon a time in a little farm on the outskirts of a small village, there lived a mother pig and her three little piglets. The piglets all lived very sheltered lives so they knew nothing of the world beyond their tiny barnyard, though each of them wished to go out and explore it. When they were old enough, the piglets were finally allowed to go into the outside world, fend for themselves, and live on their own.

On the day of their departure, the three little pigs bade their mother farewell and ventured out into the big wide world, unaware of what was really out there. The eldest and most adventurous pig was called Hog-a-loo, the middle and proudest pig was called Piggy Bloom, and the youngest and smartest pig was called Sweetie Swine. When the three little pigs had traveled a great distance into the forest together, they grew rather tired and decided it was time for each of them to build a home of their own. Hog-a-loo was the first of the three piglets to spot the building materials she wanted to use.

"Hey, girls, I just had the greatest idea EVER! I'm going to build myself a house out of straw from that huge hay bale right over there… since no one is using it." Hog-a-loo declared.

"A house made out of _straw_? Why?" Piggy Bloom asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.

"Isn't it obvious? It'll be quick and super easy to build! I don't want to work all day, I want to have fun! You two can spend your time doing whatever, but building my house is gonna be a piece of cake." Hog-a-loo replied proudly.

"Hog-a-loo, are you sure you _really_ want to make a straw house? What if it's not safe? Who knows what could happen out here?" Sweetie Swine cautioned.

"Sweetie Swine makes a good point. What if somethin' happens? Like a thunderstorm, a blizzard, or a tornado? You should at least think about this first." Piggy Bloom pointed out.

"Ugh! Give it a rest, you two. You worry too much, I'll be just fine. Do I look scared to you? I'll be prepared for anything that comes my way." Hog-a-loo scoffed.

"You sure about that?" Sweetie Swine questioned with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"I've already thought this through really carefully. I'm telling you, a house made of straw is sure to last long, not to mention I can make it in no time flat. You gals can go on your way and do whatever you want, but I'm gonna finish building first and go play!" Hog-a-loo said, wandering away from her sisters to begin building her straw house.

With that, the two remaining pigs walked along the forest path together, leaving Hog-a-loo to begin the building of her straw house. Soon, Piggy Bloom and Sweetie Swine came upon a small apple orchard with hundreds of apple trees. Piggy Bloom looked at the trees and smiled as she had an epiphany of her own.

"Hey, Sweetie Swine, I just had an idea! See those sticks and apples over there? I bet they'd make a decent homestead for me. Maybe I should build a house 'round _here_. What do ya think?" Piggy Bloom announced, running over to one of the trees.

"Are you sure, Piggy Bloom? Sticks alone won't help protect you. And with _apples_? That's even worse! It might sound like a good idea now, but what if something bad happens to _you_?" Sweetie Swine cautioned.

"Are ya serious? I've already put a lot of thought into this; a house made of apples and sticks is sure to keep me safe, I'm sure of it."

"Piggy Bloom, you're acting just like Hog-a-loo. Either you're being stubborn or _lazy_."

" _Lazy_? _Me_!? Ha! For your information, lil' sis, I'm using somethin' _way_ stronger than plain ol' straw to build _my_ house. _Not_ the same thing." Piggy Bloom rudely pointed out.

"Fine, do whatever you want. If you need me, I'll be on my own way, working on my _own_ house. Oh! By the way, if your house falls apart, don't say I didn't warn you." Sweetie Swine said, continuing down the path searching for the right materials and tools to build herself a home.

Hog-a-loo spent an hour making her home from straw. Everything from the table to the bed was crafted in straw and metal netting. The roof and window panes were stiff, golden yellow straw of all sizes while the walls, chimney, and foundation were large amounts of yellowish brown straw. Once she had finished her task, Hog-a-loo spent the rest of her afternoon exploring the forest around her and lazing about wherever she liked.

Piggy Bloom spent a little more time building her home. She gathered all the materials she needed and she built a roof and four walls from the sticks and twigs she picked up. She used some stray apples she found to hold the house together both as a foundation and a paste.

Sweetie Swine had decided to build a nice, sturdy brick house. And even though it took her the longest to build, she was sure it was going to keep her safe and sound from any kind of danger or threat that could be lurking in the woods.

A few days went by and life seemed rather good for the three pig sisters. That was until a Big Bad Diamond Wolf had discovered them. When he was walking through the woods, he came upon the tiny straw house and paused. He looked into the cottage through the window and saw Hog-a-loo inside napping peacefully. This particular Wolf had not eaten in over three days and he was so hungry that he intended on eating the little pig for a delicious lunch.

"Oooh, a pig. A small, plump, _tasty_ looking pig. I can finally have a decent meal." The Wolf whispered, furiously licking his lips and swishing his tail.

The Wolf walked up and lightly tapped on the door. However, when he did, his enormous paw went straight through the door instead. When she saw the gigantic paw sticking through her door, Hog-a-loo gasped in fright and tried to cover up the hole with more hay, but it only made things worse; it made the Wolf know she was now awake. Hog-a-loo was terrified, she had never seen this kind of creature before and she was practically shaking in her hooves.

"Little pig? Let me in." The Wolf said, looking inside the house through the window.

"Uh… Sorry, the little pig you're looking for isn't here right now; maybe you can come back and try again later. If you have the time, please leave a message after the beep. BEEEEP!" Hog-a-loo called from inside, trying her best to keep calm and not scream in horror.

"Don't lie to me. I know you're in there, little pig. Little pig, let me in!" The Wolf shouted.

"Not by the hair of my chiny-chin, chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!"

The Big Bad Diamond Wolf huffed and puffed and he let out a great gust of wind. The wind itself was so powerful and strong that Hog-a-loo's straw cottage was immediately swept away in an instant leaving nothing but the little pig herself covered in pieces of straw, bits of hay stuck in her hair, and sitting in the open forest floor.

"Whoa. Didn't see that coming." Hog-a-loo muttered to herself, staring at the Wolf with wide eyes filled with fear.

Before the Wolf could catch her, however, Hog-a-loo quickly got to her hooves and ran away as fast as she could in another direction to her sister Piggy Bloom's house.

"You can't run from me, you little swine! Get back here!" The Wolf shouted, pursuing her.

Hog-a-loo screamed in terror and didn't stop running until she reached the apple-twig house. She knocked frantically at the door while screaming in fright.

"Piggy Bloom, let me in! Quick! There's a Diamond Wolf after me! He's hot on my tail! Let me in, please!" She cried, out of breath.

"What!? A Diamond Wolf!? Get inside! Quick! You can hide in here." Piggy Bloom said, unlocking her door and letting her sister inside.

By the time the Diamond Wolf caught up with the little pig, the door of the twig house was already shut and locked. He angrily growled out of breath and looked at the cottage curiously. He grinned again and knocked on the door.

"Little pigs, let me in." The Wolf said just as he did before.

"Why should we?" Piggy Bloom asked in a rude tone.

"To be polite? So… Little pigs, little pigs. Let me in!" He said, raising his voice.

"I'd rather have you out there than in here. So…"

"Not by the hair of our chiny-chin, chins." The two pigs said together.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!"

The Diamond Wolf huffed and puffed and, just like he did before, he let out a strong gust of breath. The twig and apple hut swayed a bit in the foul scented gust of wind and some of the apples holding the sticks together came loose and almost plopped them on the head.

"Oh no. Not this again!" Hog-a-loo said, clinging onto her sister in fear.

"Hold on, sis! It's gonna get a little bumpy!" Piggy Bloom said, holding her big sister close.

As another breathy and disgusting smelling wind came around, Piggy Bloom and Hog-a-loo screamed as the apple stick house was completely blown to pieces, leaving the two pigs covered in little sticks and staring at the hulking creature before them. He grinned a sinister smile at them as he rubbed his enormous gray paws together.

"Now I have you, little piggies." He said as he approached the frightened pair.

"Uh, Hog-a-loo… I'm thinkin' we should probably run now…" Piggy Bloom whispered.

"You think?" Hog-a-loo whispered back.

Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom quickly stood up and ran along the trodden path as fast as they could, screaming in terror all the while. A few minutes later, the two little pigs finally reached their sister Sweetie Swine's brick house. They frantically knocked at her front door shrieking, shouting, and crying to be let inside.

"Sweetie Swine, let us in! There's a mad Diamond Wolf on the loose!" Piggy Bloom pleaded.

"He's gonna catch us and eat us! Let us in, please!" Hog-a-loo begged.

"A Diamond Wolf!? Oh no. Get inside girls, quick! You'll be safe in here with me." Sweetie Swine said, ushering her older sisters inside before the Wolf could catch them.

As he approached, the Wolf inspected the brick house curiously, just like he did with the other two houses. He walked around it, taking in all of its little details. As he did so, the three pigs cowered inside and kept quiet, hoping the Wolf had already left. But they were wrong because within a few minutes, he knocked on the door.

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me in." The Wolf said, trying his very best to keep calm.

"No! Go away!" Sweetie Swine yelled.

"Yeah!" Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom added.

"I'm giving you one last chance to save yourselves, little pigs. Open the door and let me in!" The Wolf yelled in an impatient, annoyed, and angry tone.

"Not by the hair of our chiny-chin, chins." The three pig sisters said in unison.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!"

The three pigs braced themselves for the blast, holding onto each other very tightly and closing their eyes. The Big Bad Diamond Wolf huffed and puffed and blew as hard as he could, but he couldn't blow down the house made of bricks. He fell to his paws and knees, completely out of breath, and he slowly crawled away in defeat. The little pigs watched him through the window, they all sighed in relief.

"Phew! That was a close one. I'm telling you, Sweetie Swine, this brick house of yours is a life-saver." Hog-a-loo said, wiping her sweat covered brow.

"You said it, Hog-a-loo. And the best part is that he _won't_ be comin' back." Piggy Bloom said before high-hoofing Hog-a-loo.

"No, no, girls, let's not be hasty! He probably will come back. And I think I have an idea on how we can beat him. But we'll have to work together as a team. You game?" Sweetie Swine asked.

Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom looked at each other, then back at Sweetie Swine; they nodded their heads and smiled, agreeing with their little sister. So, they huddled together and began to whisper ideas to each other on how to get rid of the Big Bad Diamond Wolf for good. And soon enough, they concocted the perfect plan to do just that. While the three pigs were setting up their trap, the Diamond Wolf had returned to the brick house to see if he could try again.

"I'm back, little pigs. Are you still afraid of me?" The Wolf called out.

"Oh no! The Big Bad scary Diamond Wolf is back! And here I am, a poor defenseless little piggy stuck up on the roof of my own house!" Sweetie Swine cried from above.

The Wolf looked up and he saw Sweetie Swine standing on the roof clear as day. He smiled evilly and tried to grab her with his huge paws, but she was always just out of reach.

"Hey! Whatever you do, _don't_ use a ladder!" Sweetie Swine said.

"Ladder?! Where?" The Wolf demanded.

"Behind the bush over there. Please don't find it."

"There are a lot of bushes around here!"

"Make a left. A left! A LEFT!" Sweetie Swine gently yelled, giggling under her breath.

The Wolf found the ladder hiding behind a shrub and he was about to climb up and catch Sweetie Swine until she quickly jumped down the chimney and safely landed in the fire place before he could even reach the top. When he made it to the roof, the Wolf was surprised to see that the little pig was gone. He then heard a familiar young voice from inside the house call out,

"Oh no! Now we're all trapped inside the house!"

Sweetie Swine and her sisters arranged a large pot filled with water that was beginning to boil over the now lit fireplace. Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom giggled under their breath at the Wolf, but Sweetie Swine quickly silenced them.

Back on the roof, the Wolf was still trying to figure out how Sweetie Swine could've gotten inside her house without letting him see her get away; the pigs kept hearing his footsteps above their heads all the while.

"Hey, Wolf! Whatever you do, _don't_ jump down the chimney!" Sweetie Swine shouted at the Wolf, trying not to burst out laughing; her sisters doing the same.

"That's it. I'll jump down the chimney and catch them." The Wolf said to himself as he made his way towards the chimney.

"Oh boy, he's coming. Girls, get the door. Quick." Sweetie Swine whispered, standing beside the pot with Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom standing by the door, ready to open it.

Soon, the Diamond Wolf climbed onto the rim of the chimney and jumped down to see Sweetie Swine standing in front of him with a proud expression on her face.

"Try and trick me now, little pig!" The Wolf growled.

"Don't have to." Sweetie Swine said smugly, her eyes glancing downward.

Shortly after Sweetie Swine had spoke, the Wolf just realized that he was sitting in the pot of now boiling water. The Big Bad Diamond Wolf screamed and howled in agonizing pain as he flew out of the pot. Piggy Bloom and Hog-a-loo quickly unlocked and opened the door and the Wolf ran out of the little brick house at top speed, into the forest beyond never to be seen again.

After the Wolf was gone, the three pig sisters were as happy as could be. That day, Hog-a-loo and Piggy Bloom had learned a very valuable lesson; when trying to build a proper house, always use something strong, sturdy, and sensible and anything worth doing is worth doing right all thanks to Sweetie Swine. Because she was so kind and forgiving, Sweetie Swine allowed her sisters to stay with her. And from that day on, the three little pigs all lived happily ever after.


	6. Fluttering Snow and the Seven Ponies

Once upon a time in a small kingdom on the edge of the forest, there lived a beautiful young pony named Fluttering Snow. She lived with her father the King, thus she was called princess. She also lived with her stepmother the Queen, a mare called Abacus Cinch. This Queen was very beautiful as well as very clever, but she was also vain, spoiled, selfish, and cruel. Queen Cinch possessed an enchanted mirror that spoke nothing but the truth. So every day, she would go to her mirror and say:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And every time, the mirror would always reply:

"You, my Queen, with your beauty so grand, are the fairest in all the land."

This always made the Queen very happy with herself as well as her mirror, for she never thought of anypony else who was more beautiful than her. In any case, Queen Cinch was always known as the fairest of them all for many years. But one fateful day, all of that changed.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" The Queen asked as usual.

"Abacus Cinch, my Queen, you are very fair, 'tis true, but… but there is somepony else who is fairer than you." The mirror said nervously.

"What?" The Queen whispered; she winced, her eye twitching as she breathed.

"Yes." The mirror replied.

Through her gritted teeth, the Queen slowly asked, "Who… is it?"

"It… it's… Princess Fluttering Snow." The mirror winced in fright as she spoke, waiting for the Queen's reaction.

Queen Cinch was enraged; how could her own stepdaughter be fairer than her? A new hatred for Fluttering Snow began to form and grow in the unicorn's dark heart. Her eyes burned with anger as he glowered at the mirror before her.

"Fluttering Snow?! That wimpy, pathetic, sorry excuse for a Pegasus is fairer than ME?! That can't be true! I can't believe it! I _won't_ believe it!" She shrieked.

"My Queen, I speak nothing but the truth! You know that! Please, don't hurt me!" The mirror squealed in terror.

"Ugh! Spare me your exaggerated falsities, you worthless chunk of glass!"

But then a thought popped in the Queen's head. When had her loyal and true mirror ever lie to her? She calmed down, then tried to think of a plan.

"But… if what you're saying really is the truth, then I'll have to get rid of that Fluttering Snow… and I know exactly how to handle it. I want the Hunter!" She yelled.

And as if on cue, a Pegasus mare with a sky blue coat and rainbow hair came flying into the Queen's bed chamber fast as lighting. She wore a deep green leather vest and hat with a bow, a few arrows, and a knife tucked in her belt. She kneeled before Queen Cinch.

"You sent for me, Your Majesty?" The Hunter asked.

"Yes, I did." The Queen said, looking at the Pegasus before her. "Hunter Dash, I'm glad you're here. I have an important task I need you to do for me."

"As long as you're queen, your wish is my command, Your Majesty. What is it that you want me to do?" Hunter Dash asked.

"That's good. Right now, I want you to find Princess Fluttering Snow."

"Uh-huh."

"And take. Her. Out."

"Yes, Your Ma-wait a minute. Wait, WHAT!? But-but-but… but Your Majesty, surely you don't mean it! …Do you?"

"Oh! Of course I mean it." The Queen violently grabbed Hunter Dash by the neck with her magic. "And if you don't want to get into any trouble with me, I strongly suggest that you do exactly as I tell you or else!"

"But Your Majesty, I can't hurt the princess! You have to understand! I'll get in serious trouble with the king if I do this for you!" Hunter Dash managed to croak before her face nearly turned dark blue.

"Who gives a hoot about that old idiotic king?! I have told you this once, I shall say it to you again: DO AS I SAY OR ELSE!"

"Okay! Okay, you win! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't hurt me!"

"Excellent."

The Queen turned off her magical choke hold and Hunter Dash fell to the floor, gasping and wheezing for air.

"Now go. And once you're done, I want you to bring me proof." The Queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Hunter Dash nodded her head and trotted out of the chamber.

In the castle gardens, Hunter Dash was now searching for the princess and soon, she found her sitting on the grass playing with a few forest animals and singing a lovely tune in the most beautiful voice Hunter Dash had ever heard. The princess looked so sweet and innocent; she couldn't even hurt a fly.

But Hunter Dash knew she had a job to do, and like it or not, she was going to do it. Slowly, she walked up towards the singing Pegasus as she pulled out her knife with her mouth. Just a quick job, nothing more. All she had to do was plunge the knife into her back, and it would all be over; simple as that. The mare's heart was going at a mile a minute as he inched closer to Fluttering Snow. She was so close; she could reach out and touch her.

Her breathing was so loud that Snow heard it from behind her. She also noticed that most of her animals ran back into the underbrush and she wondered why. Soon, she turned around to see Hunter Dash, knife in mouth, staring right at her. She gasped in shock.

"Hunter Dash?!" Snow exclaimed before standing up.

It was too much for her. The young Pegasus's beauty and innocence blocked out the Queen's threats. She just couldn't bring herself to hurt a soul such as this one. Hunter Dash sighed in defeat as the knife dropped from her mouth.

"I can't do it. Please forgive me, Princess Snow." She said.

"I don't understand." Snow responded. "What's wrong?"

"I was sent by your stepmother, Queen Cinch. She sent me here to… take you out."

Snow stared at her, confused. "What?"

"I mean she wanted me to… she wants me to get rid of you!" Hunter Dash finally blurted out. Snow gasped. "I'm sorry! I was wrong to obey the Queen like this! Please forgive me!"

"What?! But I don't understand. Why does she want me dead?"

"It's… because you're more beautiful than she is. She's jealous of you."

"I always had a feeling she didn't like me that much. But I never thought my own stepmother could ask this. And why did you agree to do it in the first place?"

"I don't know. I guess I panicked. She told me to bring her proof once I finished the task. But I just can't hurt somepony as innocent and beautiful as you."

"I understand."

"I'd really like to help you out, but the Queen has to think you're dead."

"Oh, yes…" Suddenly, Fluttering Snow had an idea. "I know. How about I run away and never come back? That way, the Queen will never have to hear about me again. What do you think?"

"That's a great idea! But you should do it ASAP."

"Great, I'll leave right now. But before I go, I just want to thank you for sparing my life." Snow said before giving Hunter Dash a quick hug.

Fluttering Snow didn't waste any time in running into the forest when Hunter Dash left. She had never really been through the woods before, due to it looking so intimidating, but she had to get away from the Queen's wrath. So, without even thinking, Snow headed into the forest without looking back.

Back at the castle, Hunter Dash had told Queen Cinch that her stepdaughter was dead. She gave the Queen a yellow feather and said that it was part of Fluttering Snow's wings as proof. Queen Cinch took the little feather into her magical embrace and looked at it, not knowing it wasn't part of Snow.

"Splendidly done, Hunter Dash. You've certainly proven yourself." The Queen said, turning away from the blue Pegasus.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Hunter Dash said, bowing her head.

The Queen then wagged her hoof a few times before saying, "Now, get out."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Hunter Dash said, trying her best not to laugh as she made her leave.

'Now I'll never have to see Fluttering Snow's hateful little face ever again.' Queen Cinch thought before bursting into maniacal laughter.

Meanwhile, after what felt like hours, Fluttering Snow finally stopped running; she needed to breathe. She didn't know how long she was running for nor where she was. All she knew was that she had to keep going; she didn't want her stepmother to find out her trick. As Snow continued down the forest path, she found a small cottage deep within a quiet clearing. As she approached it, Snow thought that this house was adorable. She gently knocked on the door, but nopony answered. She tried the door and found that it was unlocked.

"Hello? Is anypony home?" She called out, but heard no reply. She then opened the door curiously and looked inside. "Nopony is here. Well, I do hope they don't mind if I go in."

The door made a loud creak as it opened to the small interior that matched the outside. Snow smiled as she looked around at the cute pieces of furniture. The couch at the corner of the room, a medium-sized table with seven chairs around it, and even a little sink… almost overflowing with dirty dishes. The more she looked around, the more Snow realized how dirty the place was. Apparently, the ponies who lived there didn't take good care of their residence.

"Oh my, what a mess. Maybe I should clean up a little." She said to herself.

She knew it was going to be a busy job, but Snow didn't mind. There was much work to be done, so Snow grabbed a broom and started to clean. A few hours passed and the tiny house was finally clean. She wiped some sweat from her brow and yawned. She decided to look around the house to find a place to nap when she discovered a bedroom on the second floor. In this room, there were seven tiny beds, too small for Fluttering Snow to fit. Her eyes widened and she smiled as she had an idea.

Hours passed and the sun had already set. It was almost completely dark in the forest clearing and soon, the owners of the house were coming home. They were seven ponies who were just the size of children. They were all carrying either a pickaxe or a shovel on their backs and they each had a saddlebag was strapped to their backs. They all traveled in a single-file line as they trotted down the path to their humble cottage.

"Hold it, guys!" The lead pony shouted out suddenly.

The others came to a screeching halt as they looked forward to see what was going on. The lead pony, who was an Earth pony, had a yellow coat, a pinkish red mane, and a big pink bow, was looking towards the cottage. They looked and saw that the door was open.

"Did somepony forget close the door before we left?"

Everypony turned around and looked at the pony in the very back, who was a bit shorter than the others, but had a shocked expression on her face. She was an Earth pony wearing big purple glasses and had a cream coat and a curly red mane.

"Don't look at me, you guyth. I wathn't even the latht one out thith morning!" She said with a lisp.

"You're ALWAYS the last one out, Twisty!" Another Earth pony said. She had a light pink coat, a somewhat curly white and purple mane, and wearing a small tiara.

"That's not true, Dazzley! _I_ was the last a few days ago." A unicorn with a white coat and a curled pink and purple mane said.

"Never mind that. All we know is that there's an intruder in our house!" The lead pony said

"W-w-w-what if it's a monster?" A frightened short Earth pony with a white and brown spotted coat, a messy two-toned brown mane, and a slight British accent asked.

"There's no way it could be a monster. Those things don't even exist." The Pegasus with an orange coat and short purple mane sighed.

"There's always a first time for everything, Scootsy. What if Pip IS right and it's just waiting in there to catch us and eat us for its dinner!" An earth pony with a light gray coat, a gray mane, and glasses shuttered.

"C'mon, you guys, don't be scared. I say we go check it out and kick them out." The lead pony said.

"Yeah, let's go." The Pegasus and the unicorn agreed.

The others shrugged their shoulders and reluctantly agreed. They slowly approached their house and looked inside. When they got in and turned on the lights, they saw that their house was completely clean. The floor was swept, the table was scrubbed, the windows were washed, the trash was picked up, and there wasn't even a little thing out of place. The group's eyes widened in surprise as they all walked around the room.

"W-w-w-what happened to this place?" The unicorn with curls asked.

"I don't know. It… it's so _clean_." The pony with the bow said.

"Are you sure this is our house?" The Pegasus asked.

"I think so." The lead pony answered.

"It must be." The pony with the tiara added.

"I'm not so sure." The silver pony said.

"It doesn't look like our house." The spotted pony commented.

"Doethn't _thmell_ like our houthe, either." The pony with big glasses added.

"Hey, guys!" The Pegasus exclaimed as she pointed her hoof at the staircase. "I hear something coming from upstairs. Come on!"

The group of seven made their way up the stairs in a single-file line until they made their way into the bedroom. They saw lying in three of the seven beds Fluttering Snow sleeping peacefully. They each let out a silent gasp as they walked towards her.

"Oh my Celestia, who is that?" The silver pony whispered.

"I don't know." The pony with the tiara answered.

"Where'd she come from?" The unicorn asked.

"How'd she get here?" The pony with the bow added.

"She's beautiful." The tiny pony commented.

"Maybe she'th lotht." The redheaded pony added.

"Maybe we should let her sleep, ya'll. We'll find out more in the mornin'." The leader said.

The seven ponies were good hosts so they let Fluttering Snow have the three beds and they doubled up for the night. In the morning, they were all up bright and early and Fluttering Snow woke up to find the seven little ones looking at her with curious eyes.

"Mornin'." The lead pony greeted softly.

Fluttering Snow abruptly sat up and gasped when she saw the little creatures before her. "Oh my goodness! You startled me!"

"It's okay." The spotted pony said.

"If you don't mind, who are you?" Snow asked.

"We're dwarf ponies." The leader with the bow proclaimed proudly. "My name's Bloomy, the leader of the group."

"I'm Scootsy." The Pegasus said.

"Sweetie. Pleasure to meet you." The unicorn with curls said.

"I'm Twisty. It'th a pleasure." The one with the lisp said.

"Pip! At your service!" The short one introduced.

"My name's Dazzley." The pony with the tiara said.

"And I'm Spoon." The last pony said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Fluttering Snow." Snow introduced with a sweet smile. "It's nice to—"

"Fluttering Snow?!" The seven suddenly exclaimed with surprise. Snow nodded.

"We've heard about you! You're one of the nicest ponies in the kingdom as well as the princess! What are ya doin' out here?" Bloomy asked.

Snow's expression drooped a bit. "I'm running away. My stepmother, the Queen, wants to get rid of me and I need a place to hide from her. I didn't mean to let myself into your cottage."

"Are you kidding?" Scoots proclaimed with a smile. "We're honored to have a real princess in our cottage. And if it's to get you away from that wicked queen, then you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like!" The other six nodded excitedly. Snow smiled and nodded in thanks.

Back at the castle that night, Queen Cinch was staring into her magic mirror admiring her beauty before asking it, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, NOW who is the fairest of them all?"

"My Queen Abacus, you are very fair, 'tis true, but Princess Fluttering Snow is still much fairer than you." The mirror answered nervously.

Queen Cinch's eyes widened in shock as she back away from the mirror. "What?! But how can that be?! Fluttering Snow is gone!"

"Isn't it obvious, Your Majesty? The hunter lied to you."

"But how could she?! She gave me a yellow feather, for crying out loud!"

"Ugh, it was the feather of a canary."

"But she said—"

"And you believed her?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, except that you've been tricked. Duped, fooled, played for a sucker. Nothing more."

The Queen screamed and threw a jewelry box against the wall in rage. "THAT IDIOT OF A HUNTER TRICKED ME! I'LL HAVE HER HEAD FOR THIS! Ooh, when I find her, she'll learn to never trick me! I can't believe her! She said she was going to take care of it, but she's been pulled in by that pest's 'sweetness'! Well, I wasn't planning on getting my hooves dirty, but if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!" She turned back to the mirror.

"Where is she?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

The mirror gave a sigh of remorse. "She's currently in a cottage in the Everfree Forest with the Seven Dwarf Ponies."

"Well then, you're lucky I already have a plan." The Queen thought for a moment, then she smiled wickedly, she had the perfect plan.

The next day at the Dwarves' cottage, the group of seven was about to leave for work, but not before telling Fluttering Snow something important.

"Now, listen, pardon our paranoia, but that ol' Queen Cinch could be anywhere. Ponies say she's a tricky and sneaky one." Bloomy said to Snow.

"Right! So don't let anypony in." Sweetie added.

"Nopony whatsoever." Dazzley said.

"No one knows you're here, but you have to promise you'll be careful." Scoots assured her.

"Of course. I promise." Snow said, nodding her head.

"Great. Thee you tonight, Thnow." Twisty said.

"You know where we'll be." Pipsy added.

"Don't worry about me, everypony. I'll be fine." Snow said before waving goodbye to her little friends as they headed towards the mine to work.

The second the Dwarves were gone, Queen Cinch crept out from her hiding place in the trees of the Everfree. She always had a few tricks up her sleeve, and now she was going to take care of Fluttering Snow once and for all. Inside the house, Snow was sweeping the floor when she heard a knock at the door. She then heard an unfamiliar voice say:

"Excuse me, could somepony open the door?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to let anypony in." Fluttering Snow whispered.

"It's alright, dear, I understand. But why don't you come to the window instead, hmmm?" The voice asked.

"A-alright." Snow replied as she walked towards the nearest window.

She opened the window and she saw a pony she didn't recognize walk closer to her. The pony seemed to be a unicorn mare wearing ragged clothes and carrying a basket filled with many different kinds of apples. What Fluttering Snow didn't realize was that it was Queen Abacus Cinch, only in disguise.

"Good morning, miss." The Queen said in a disguised voice.

"Hello." Snow said nervously.

"Can I interest you in some fresh, delicious apples today as a house warming gift?"

"Oh! No thank you."

"Are you sure, child? These apples are fresh from my farm."

"Ma'am, I'm really sorry, but I'm not supposed to let anypony in."

"I understand. But you should at least try one of them. Why don't you just take a quick peek?"

The Queen set her basket of fruit down to let the Pegasus look inside. Only one of them caught Fluttering Snow's eye, it was a big, bright, and beautiful looking apple that was sitting right smack in the middle. It looked ever so peculiar to her; one side of the apple was as white as snow while the other side was as red as rubies.

"Oh, I see you've seen my _extra_ special treat." The Queen said before taking out the apple and showing it to the Pegasus before her. "I found this one at my orchard this morning, I thought it was only worthy of a beautiful young mare like yourself. Won't you like it?"

"It _does_ look good, but no thank you." Snow said.

"It's alright, it's safe to eat. See?" The Queen said.

Queen Cinch cut the apple in half with her magic and took a bite out of the white side. She swallowed the bite if apple before she said, "Mmmmmm, delicious! Won't you like to try?"

"Well… I don't know." Snow said hesitantly.

"Oh! Come now, child. It's perfectly harmless. Just one little bite? Pretty please?"

"Well… alright, if you insist. It does look good, just one taste."

"Wonderful. Here you go, take it. It's all yours."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy."

Fluttering Snow took the red side of the apple in her hoof, raised it to her lips, and hesitantly took a small bite. But as soon as the yellow Pegasus tasted the apple, she fell to the floor and lost consciousness. For the apple the Queen had given Snow was poisoned and it had no known antidote. The Queen ripped off her disguise and laughed at the catatonic mare at her hooves.

"Now we'll see who's really the fairest in the land." She said as she ran away from the cottage, laughing triumphantly.

When the Dwarves came home later that day, they were shocked to find Fluttering Snow lying on the floor, stock still. When they saw the red half of the apple next to her, they knew what happened: Queen Abacus Cinch. The Dwarves were devastated, they thought Snow was dead but they couldn't stand to bury her because of her beauty.

Instead, they built a coffin out of glass and they laid her down in a small clearing in the forest under a willow tree, to which they frequently visited. Time passed and the clearing Fluttering Snow laid in never changed, it was always springtime.

One fateful day, about a year after Snow's supposed "death", a young handsome Earth pony stallion happened to pass by and he discovered the strange sight. He walked towards the clearing, looked inside the coffin, and saw the lifeless Pegasus mare inside; the stallion instantly fell in love with her.

'Boy howdy. You alright, miss? Who are you? Are you asleep?' The stranger thought.

As the stallion sat there gazing at the sleeping mare, the Dwarves arrived and they quickly discovered him. He looked, saw the group of seven tiny ponies, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Who are you?" Bloomy asked, stepping forward.

"McIntosh." The stallion answered simply.

"Wait. Are you some kind of prince?" Spoon asked, stepping forward with Bloomy.

"Eeyup."

"What are you doing here?" Scoots asked.

"Nothin'."

"You want to know who that mare ith?" Twisty asked.

"Eeyup."

"That's Princess Fluttering Snow." Dazzley said sadly.

"A princess?"

"Yeah, pretty awesome." Scoots answered.

"She was the most beautiful and the kindest mare in the land." Pipsy said sadly.

"Is she sleepin' or… did somethin' happen to her?" Prince McIntosh asked.

Though it caused them great emotional pain to remember the tragic tale, the Dwarves told the Prince what happened to their dear friend. When their story was finished, Prince Mac had felt as if he had known Fluttering Snow forever.

"I'm sorry." He said as he stood up and turned his head to look at Snow again. "But, if it's all the same, I'd like to give the princess a little kiss before I go. Just to say goodbye."

"I don't see why not. Girls? What do you think?" Pipsy asked.

"Okay." The rest of the group said, nodding their heads.

The Dwarves walked to the coffin and carefully removed the translucent lid to allow the stallion to kiss their friend. He walked closer to Snow's face; he looked at her longingly and softly touched her cheek with his hoof.

'Oh, Fluttering Snow, if only I could've met ya sooner, none of this probably would've happened. Goodbye.' He thought.

Prince Mac then leaned in and gave Fluttering Snow a kiss on the lips. After he pulled away however, the piece of poison apple was dislodged from Snow's throat and she opened her eyes. Everypony gasped and looked at her as she sat up and rubbed her head.

"Snow! You're back!" The Dwarves cried with joy.

"Ugh, what… what happened?" The confused Pegasus asked. Then she saw the stallion in front of her and she gasped. "Oh my goodness. Who are you?"

"That's Prince McIntosh, Thnow! He kithed you and broke the thpell!" Twisty said, smiling.

"A spell?" Snow asked.

"Yeah! It was the Evil Queen." Dazzley said.

"But we don't care about that now. We're just so glad _you're_ back." Scoots added.

"My princess. I've found you! Will ya please come with me to my home with me so we can marry?" Prince Mac asked, holding Snow's hoof in his own.

"But Prince Mac, we just met and I hardly know you as it is." Snow said.

"Say yes, Snow!" The Dwarves chanted behind the Prince, smiling excitedly.

"Well… I know it's a bit sudden, but… oh, whatever! Of course I'll marry you, Prince McIntosh!"

The Earth Pony Prince was so happy that he took Fluttering Snow in his embrace and they passionately shared a kiss while the Dwarves excitedly cheered and jumped for joy. Later that day, Prince Mac took Snow back to his kingdom and there they were married that very afternoon. The Dwarves were even the flower girls or the ring bearer at the ceremony. It was probably going to be biggest and grandest wedding in all the land.

Back at the castle, Queen Cinch heard all about the royal wedding and was invited. But before she left, she asked her magic mirror:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

"My Queen, you have been most fair, quite true, but the Prince's bride is far fairer than you." The mirror answered smugly.

"What?! That can't be!" The Queen screamed.

"Oh, it can and it is. If you don't believe me, go to the wedding and find out for yourself." The mirror insisted.

"Alright, I will!"

At Prince Mac's castle, the reception to the royal wedding had already begun and everypony was having a splendid time while watching the newlyweds dance in the middle of the ballroom. But then, Queen Cinch arrived. And when she saw the new royal couple dancing together, she was shocked and enraged to see none other than Fluttering Snow herself alive and well.

She gasped. "FLUTTERING SNOW?! How can she be alive?! My spell failed?!"

But as she was about to approach the dancing happy couple, two unicorn guards came out of nowhere and grabbed her with their magic.

"What?! Hey! What is the meaning of this?! Let go of me! What are you two doing?!" The Queen demanded.

"You're in big trouble, Your Majesty. Princess Fluttering Snow and her little friends told us everything you've done. You're coming with us." One of the guards said.

"What?! No! Stop! Let me go! You're making a huge mistake!" Queen Cinch screamed.

Nopony knew what happened to the Queen after she was dragged out of the ballroom by the guards but no one really cared. The important thing was that Fluttering Snow was safe and her evil stepmother was long gone. Princess Fluttering Snow and Prince McIntosh were married, Queen Abacus Cinch could never bother them or anypony else ever again, and they all lived happily ever after.


	7. Sleeping Dash

Once upon a time in a beautiful and glorious city nestled high in the mountains, there was a wise king and a fair queen who wanted a child. And one day, their wish came true. A beautiful Pegasus filly was born and she was called Rainbow Rose. A few days after the princess's birth, a grand party was held at the palace. Ponies from far and wide were invited to attend the marvelous celebration, even the Seven Good Fairies were asked to come. Everypony was having a wonderful time while celebrating the baby princess. The King stood up from his throne and stomped his hoof on the floor and all of the guests turned their attention to him.

"Attention, everypony! It's time for the event you've all been waiting for. Time for our guests of honor to give their gifts to our little princess." The King announced.

"That's right, darling. Now the eldest of the group shall go first, then the second eldest, and so on. In your own time." The Queen added proudly, nodding her head at the Fairies.

The seven Fairies nodded their heads and smiled back at the King and Queen as they made their way towards the gilded cradle by the two thrones where the tiny baby princess was laying; all standing in a single file line.

The first to go up was a unicorn with a white coat and purple hair with curls. She looked at the baby and her horn began to glow. "My gift to the princess is surpassing beauty." The mare announced as she cast her spell upon the baby.

The next pony stepped up. This one was an Alicorn mare with a lilac coat and dark blue hair. She activated her magic as well. "My gift to the princess is the wit of an angel." The Alicorn declared, casting her spell.

The third pony was a yellow Pegasus mare with long pink hair. "My gift to the princess is grace in all of her ways."

The fourth was an Earth pony with a pink coat and magenta hair. "My gift to the princess is a true sense of humor."

The fifth was another Earth pony, but this one had an orange coat and blonde hair. "My gift to the princess is a kind and friendly disposition."

The sixth was a second unicorn mare with a lavender coat and purple and green mane. "My gift to the princess is loyalty and bravery."

And the final and youngest fairy was a third unicorn with a yellowish orange coat, aquamarine eyes, and a red and yellow striped mane and tail. Before she could cast a spell however, everything was suddenly interrupted by the front doors bursting open by a great gust of wind, followed by a deafening buzz and a cloud of dark green smoke. When the buzzing stopped and the wind ceased, a tall and hideously disfigured pony-like creature appeared. It looked almost female, but also half insect. As it slowly approached the King and Queen, the ponies cowered in fear and trembled as the tall creature passed by.

"Good day, everypony. What a glorious affair you have going on." The creature spoke, its voice seemed to echo in everypony's minds. "I see everypony has managed to come. Nobility, royalty, and… and even the rabble. How quaint."

"What are you doing here, Chrysalis?" The white unicorn demanded.

"Yeah, what do you want?" The pink pony asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for the celebration, of course. Although, I feel rather distressed at not receiving an invitation. Where are your manners?" The creature dubbed as Chrysalis replied.

"You ain't welcome here!" The pony with the blonde mane shouted.

The room was deathly silent, nopony moved or made a sound. That is until Chrysalis chuckled before suddenly breaking into wicked, booming laughter.

"Oh, dear me." She laughed. "How terribly awkward. I just thought that the invitation was lost in the mail, that's all."

"Chrysalis, why are you here?" The King commanded.

"None of us can't truly imagine that you're really offended, can we?" The Queen said.

"Oh! Heavens, no, your grace. You know what? I have a _brilliant_ idea. Just to prove to you all that I mean no harm, I shall bestow a gift on the child as well."

Everypony gasped in terror, especially the six Fairies who were huddled together near the thrones of the King and his Queen.

"No! Keep your gift! We don't want it!" The King exclaimed.

"Come, come now, your majesty. It will be quick and painless, I promise you."

The disfigured pony walked towards the princess's cradle and looked at the baby lying inside. Her twisted gnarled horn began to glow sickeningly green as magic began to swirl around the clueless infant. She began to cast her spell.

"All of you, listen well! This little princess shall grow in grace and beauty, friends with all who know her. But… before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, Princess Rainbow Rose shall clip her wing on the smallest or the largest shard of any crystal and she shall die!" The monstrous pony exclaimed, sending a shockwave of green magic throughout the room.

Everypony was in shock and they were trembling in horror at the creature. She turned off her magic and laughed triumphantly as everypony gasped in shock. The Queen was now sobbing out of fear while the King did his best to comfort her.

"How about _that_ for a gift?" Chrysalis asked smugly, whipping her webby tail.

"You cruel, conniving, black-hearted monster!" The King screamed angrily. "I hereby banish crystals from this kingdom! Now how about _that_!?"

"Oh, we'll see." Chrysalis replied, looking at her reflection in her hoof. "You have a lot to learn about the power of fairies, especially fairies with dark powers like _me_. Trust me, you're out of your league. There's nothing else you can do."

"Wait, Your Majesties! Not all is lost; I haven't given the princess _my_ gift yet." The last Good Fairy said as she stepped forward.

"That's right, you haven't. That must mean there's still hope." The Queen said, lifting her head from her hooves.

"But, Your Majesty, she's still a young fairy." The Alicorn said, stepping forward.

"Yes, she doesn't have enough power to undo the curse." The yellow Pegasus nervously added.

"I'm afraid they're right. I can only add to the spell, not change it."

The unicorn thought for a moment, then she came up with a solution. Her horn glowed as she approached the cradle and looked at the baby.

"Princess Rainbow Rose will _not_ die from clipping her wing with a crystal shard, but she will only fall into a deep sleep that will last for a very long time. And she can only be awakened by true love's kiss."

She cast her spell upon the baby and everypony applauded and cheered for her, especially her sisters and the princess's parents.

Chrysalis just rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Nice try, but you're out of luck." The dark Fairy said, getting closer to her good counterpart.

"How so?" She asked.

"You gave away with your advantage with that 'true love's kiss' nonsense. Sleep she may, but let's see if anypony can get close enough to wake her up!"

And with that, Chrysalis suddenly disappeared in a bright green flash, leaving everypony in the room frozen in fear or completely flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesties, but it's the best I can do. Oh, don't worry, princess. I'm sure everything's going to be fine." The Fairy said reassuringly to the baby who naïvely cooed.

Even though the young Fairy said things would be alright, the King and Queen didn't want to take any chances. They didn't want Chrysalis' horrible curse to come true under any costs. So, they quickly issued a proclamation throughout the kingdom. The King banned all crystals and the act of mining crystals across the land to keep his daughter safe.

Years have passed and Princess Rainbow Rose had grown up to be a beautiful young Pegasus mare, however, she remained unaware of the curse or even the existence of crystals. When she wanted to practice her flying skills, she wasn't allowed to leave the castle grounds, which she thought was unfair. She wanted to go out and see the world.

It was the Princess's sixteenth birthday and while her parents were away on important royal business, Rainbow Rose decided to go out for a short fly. Since there was no one else in the castle, she made her way off of the castle grounds and into the open sky. When she made her way outside, she saw that everything around her was so big and vast that she couldn't believe it. But while she was soaring in the clouds, she spotted something on one of the mountains near the castle. It looked like the entrance to a cave. Being the curious pony she was, she decided to go and investigate. Rainbow Rose flew to the hole and discovered that it was a cave. And clinging onto the walls were crystals of every shape, color, and size. She gasped and gazed at the unfamiliar yet wondrous sight before her now.

"Whoa! Look at this place! It's amazing!" Rainbow Rose said in astonishment.

"Why hello, miss." An unfamiliar voice said.

Rainbow Rose whipped her head around, looking for the source of the voice. And soon enough, a tall pony emerged from the shadows wearing a dark tattered cloak over her body. The mare approached the Princess and she backed away.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just an average pony mining crystals day in and day out. Typical boring evening." The pony replied.

" _Crystals_? That's what these things are?"

"You don't know about _crystals_?! They're probably some of the most beautiful things in all of the land! They're big, sparkly, intricate, and absolutely stunning!"

"You got that right. I wonder why my parents didn't want me to fly out here. It's awesome!"

The stranger smiled. "Bet you can't fly like a pro."

"What?" Rainbow Rose asked.

"I said I bet you can't fly like a professional."

"Are you kidding me? I AM a professional!"

"YOU? A pro? You've gotta be pulling my leg."

"No way! I'm the best flyer this kingdom has ever seen!"

"Please. I've seen slugs faster than you."

"What is THAT supposed to mean?"

"No flying team in the entire land would accept a prissy little Pegasus who could never fly through an entire cave and back to the entrance unharmed in one day."

"Hey! I can fly through this cave and back here in ten seconds flat!"

"Prove it."

"Why should I?"

"What's the matter? Chicken?"

"Okay, that's it!"

Without missing a beat, the Pegasus Princes spread her wings and flew straight into the cave as fast as she could, the stranger watching her from afar. As she flew, Rainbow Rose dodged and flew past every crystal in her path and finally she made her way to the end of the cave. She didn't have time to admire her reflection in the semi-translucent wall because she had a bet to beat. She immediately flew back towards the entrance.

As she was nearing the cave entrance, however, it was almost sunset. That was when the stranger's horn lit up and she blasted a beam of magic at a crystal hanging on the cave ceiling and a large piece broke loose from it and it fell onto the Princess's wing, thus clipping it.

"Ow! My wing!" She cried in pain.

But before she could so anything else, Rainbow Rose suddenly lost all of her strength and she fell to the cave floor with a loud thud and her eyes shut. The cave was silent; the Princess lay in the dirt. Her eyes closed her body unmoving. The cloaked pony slowly walked over to the unconscious Pegasus and removed her cloak to reveal Chrysalis.

"Hmph. Looks like I was right, Rainbow. You couldn't fly through that entire cave and back in ten seconds flat." She chuckled.

She broke into triumphant laughter and she vanished in a bright green flash. The wicked Fairy's curse had finally come true, Princess Rainbow Rose had clipped her wing and she had fallen into a death-like sleep.

After the sun had fully set and the King and Queen returned home, the castle guards quickly found the Princess asleep in the crystal cave. They brought her back to the castle to tell her parents the grim news. So the royal couple lay their daughter rest in her bed chamber where she could sleep peacefully. Soon, they called the youngest Fairy for help.

"I'm afraid we're too late. The curse has already come to pass." The King said solemnly.

"Yes, there's nothing left we can do." The Queen added tearfully.

"Wait, don't you remember? True love's kiss?" The Fairy asked.

"Oh, yes! Well, I'm sure we can find somepony who could—" The King began, but he was cut off by the Fairy.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm afraid you can't. You'll have to wait a little while." She said.

"How long?" The Queen asked.

"I'd say… a hundred years."

"A hundred years?! But, you don't understand. When she wakes up, everypony here would've passed on, everything she loves would die, the entire kingdom would be gone. What do we do?"

The Fairy thought, then she smiled; she came up with another solution.

"Hey, why don't I freeze everypony, exactly as they are now? So, that way you, the Princess, and everypony else can sleep together until her true love finally comes."

She activated her magic and she sent a shockwave of light red magic throughout the entire kingdom. There, everypony was either frozen in place like statues or asleep just like the princess. When the Fairy finished her spell, Chrysalis suddenly appeared in the room.

"Nice try, cookie." The dark creature said.

"Why thank you." The young Fairy said, looking away from her counterpart.

"But you're forgetting one thing. _I_ possess magic, too. Stronger than yours."

"So?"

" _So_ , I have a little something I'd like to add."

Chrysalis's horn glowed and soon, an entire forest of enormous razor sharp jet black crystals sprang up from the ground, surrounding the village and the castle and growing to great heights. The Fairy looked out the window and turned to look back at Chrysalis, glaring at her darkly.

"You know something, Chrysalis? You… are the most evil, most cruel, black-hearted pony I have ever known!" She screamed.

"Thank you, dearie, but flattery will get you nowhere. I have one last surprise in store for this so-called 'true love'. Just you wait and see." Chrysalis cackled. And with that, she disappeared, leaving the Fairy alone with the sleeping Pegasus.

"Well, I've done everything I can." She sighed as she looked at the Princess. "Don't worry, princess. The right pony will come, I know it."

Time passed and Princess Rainbow Rose, her parents, the loyal subjects, and the rest of the kingdom never changed. The Princess lay in an enchanted dreamless sleep, waiting for somepony to come. A hundred years seemed to fly by and one fateful day, somepony did come. It was a young Pegasus prince by the name of Soarin. He was flying around in the cool blue sky until he came across the forest of black crystals. He heard many rumors about the crystal forest and he was told about either an evil ghost or a terrible monster that lives down there.

Being the curious young pony that he was, the Prince decided to go and investigate. At the entrance to the forest, Soarin looked at the black crystals that towered over him like trees. Although he knew it would be very dangerous, he had to find out which legend was really true. Before he could walk in however, he was confronted by a mysterious stranger.

"Pardon me, I do not mean to be rude. But why on this land do you intrude?" She asked.

"Sorry, ma'am. What do you know about a monster or a demon? I've heard that there's one that lives in there." The Prince said.

"Monster? Demon? I should say not. For it is the truth many had sought. Deep within this forest of crystals black, lays a precious treasure most ponies would try to bring back. There lies the Princess Rainbow Rose in her bed, for she slept for one year times one hundred."

"One hundred years? Princess Rainbow Rose? Is it true?"

"Oh yes, indeed. But beware, good prince. Those who go in this forest have never left since."

Even though the zebra advised him not to go, Prince Soarin walked into the black crystal forest, searching for the castle that contained the sleeping princess. After a few minutes of walking, Soarin suddenly felt that he was being watched. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of Chrysalis, who has transformed herself into a large, sleek looking dragon with ebony scales and large emerald green eyes.

"Going somewhere, pretty boy?" The Chrysalis Dragon asked.

"I'm here for Princess Rainbow Rose!" Soarin shouted.

"If you want the Princess, you'll have to get through _me_ first. But I doubt you can. To me, you look absolutely delicious!" Chrysalis said, looking at the pony and hungrily licking her lips.

Soarin took a sword out of his belt and said, "You don't scare me! Come and get it!"

Prince Soarin and Chrysalis had a fierce battle. She breathed green fire at the prince many times, but he dodged the blasts every time. Soon, Soarin had an idea. He spread his wings, flew above Chrysalis, and landed on top of a crystal that was sitting right above her head. He took his sword and he struck the crystal with it. When he extracted it, the crystal began to crack and break. Chrysalis heard the cracking sounds and looked up to see the Prince flying over her head and the crystal that was about to fall. Her eyes widened in fright.

"How do you like them apples?" The Prince smugly said, kicking the crystal with his back hoof.

And before anypony could say another word, the large piece of crystal fell and it crashed right on top of the Chrysalis Dragon's head, killing her. The Prince flew over the creature and straight to the castle to find the princess. He burst through the doors and ran around the castle looking for her. Then, he ran up a staircase of the castle until he reached a room on the top floor. He opened the door and he saw Princess Rainbow Rose sleeping peacefully. He gasped as he looked at her; she was the most beautiful mare he had ever seen.

Soarin walked over to the bed and gazed the sleeping mare before him. He then leaned in, lifted Rainbow's head, and kissed her on the lips. At that moment, Princess Rainbow Rose's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at the stallion.

"Wha… what happened? Who are you?" She asked, sitting up.

"I'm Soarin." He answered.

"Are you a prince?" Rose said.

"Yeah." Soarin replied.

"What kept you then?"

Rainbow Rose then climbed out of bed and wrapped her forelegs around Soarin's neck in a hug as well as a passionate kiss on the lips. As they kissed, the castle and the village came back to life and the crystals that surrounded the kingdom shattered and the shards vanished into thin air. Shortly after everything was back, Princess Rainbow Rose and Prince Soarin were married, Chrysalis was never seen in the kingdom again, and they all lived happily ever after.


	8. Sunny and the Beast

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a beautiful and slightly odd pony called Sun-Belle Shimmer. She lived with her father in the village and although she longed to make friends, most of the other ponies in the village thought of her as very strange and some of them didn't want anything to do with her.

One day, Sun-Belle's father, Mr. Burst, was called away on an important business trip in the city. Before he left for his journey, he asked his daughter,

"Now Sun-Belle, when I return home, what gift would you like me to get you?"

"Oh Papa, I don't need anything. All I want is for you to return home safely." The young mare said humbly.

"Come on, there must be something I can bring back for you. What would you like?"

"Okay, okay; since you are offering and all. I'd just like a red rose, if it isn't too much trouble."

"A rose it is."

Mr. Burst nodded his head, gave his daughter a quick hug, and he was on his way.

After his meeting was finally done and over with, Mr. Burst had remembered Sun-Belle's request, but he couldn't find a red rose for her. He searched every garden, every greenhouse, and every flower shop he could find, but he had no luck. As he was on his way home through a dark forest, Mr. Burst was suddenly caught in the middle of a horrible thunderstorm. In the midst of the storm, he came across a mighty castle and surrounding the castle was the largest and most exquisite garden he had ever seen in his life.

Mr. Burst walked around the castle grounds with wide eyes, taking in the beautiful plants and flowers that surrounded the enormous manor. And suddenly, something caught his eye; a rose as red as fire, just what Sun-Belle Shimmer had asked for. It was growing on a bush that grew all different colors of roses.

'A red rose! What luck!' He thought as he excitedly walked towards the bush.

But just as he picked the red flower, Mr. Burst was greeted by an angry sounding snarling roar unlike anything he had ever heard before.

"Who is stealing flowers from my garden!? You're not welcome here!" A loud, unfamiliar voice boomed.

Mr. Burst was so scared that he almost fell over; he quickly whipped his head around to look for the source of the voice. When he craned his neck up, his eyes widened the moment he saw a tall dark figure standing over him. Mr. Burst gasped and cringed in terror at the sight; he backed away in horror, unsure of what to do.

"Don't just stand there. Who are you? What are you doing here? And why are you stealing my roses?" The figure demanded.

Mr. Burst caught his breath and he could finally talk, but his voice wavered from fear and panic while he spoke to the horrendous creature.

"M-m-my… name is Burst, my lord. I'm just a simple stallion and I was lost in the forest after trying to find a present for my daughter." He said nervously, trying not to scream in terror.

"So that's it?" The figure asked. "You've come to steal from me, have you?!"

"Please, I meant no harm! Honest!" Mr. Igneous pleaded.

"Likely story. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget."

The dark figure reached out an enormous claw, snatched up Mr. Burst and took him back into his castle, slamming the door shut behind him.

A week went by and Sun-Belle Shimmer hadn't heard anything from her father yet and soon, she began to worry about him. Even though she was told never to leave the village borders because nopony had bothered to go in the forest that stood beside the town, Sun-Belle was desperate. She grabbed herself a scarf, headed outside, and ran into the forest in search of her beloved father.

She wandered the narrow forest paths looking for any sign of Mr. Burst, but hours had passed and Sun-Belle had finally decided that she was lost. As exhausted and hungry as she was though, she kept going, determined to not rest until she was reunited with her father at last. When hope seemed dismal, Sun-Belle saw an old iron gate hidden in the heart of the forest. She was confused at first, but she ran up to it, pushed open the gate, and ran up to what looked like the very same castle Mr. Burst had discovered.

'Maybe Papa is here!' She thought before knocking on the door.

"Hello! Anypony home?" She called. No one answered.

Sun-Belle tried knocking again, this time a bit louder and harder only to realize that the door was never locked and it slowly glided open. Gulping, Sun-Belle cautiously stepped into the castle, the door closing behind her with a slam. As she walked down the dimly lit castle halls, Sun-Belle couldn't help but feel as though she was being watched.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called nervously. "My name is Sun-Belle Shimmer and I'm looking for my father!"

"Sun-Belle? Sun-Belle Shimmer, is that you?" An all too familiar voice called from the top of a nearby set of winding stairs.

"Papa?! Don't worry, I'm coming!" Sun-Belle cried as she ran up the stairs until she found herself in some kind of dungeon-like chamber all the way at the top.

She looked and gasped in surprise when she saw Mr. Burst trapped in one of the cells. She ran to the cell door and held her father's hoof in her own, a big smile spread across the stallion's face.

"Sun-Belle, my dear! How in Equestria did you find me?" Mr. Burst asked.

"Oh gosh, you're as cold as ice. What happened to you?" Sun-Belle asked worriedly.

"It's a long story. You need to leave, before _it_ catches you."

"It? Who did this to you?"

"No time to explain. You have to go, now!"

"No! I won't leave you here!"

Sun-Belle's sentence was suddenly interrupted by a loud roar that seemed to come from behind her.

"What are you doing here?!" A deep gruff voice asked.

"Who's there? Who are you?" Sun-Belle asked as she looked back at the stairs, only to see a large dark figure standing there.

"The master of this castle. Who are you and what are you doing here?" The figure asked.

"I am Sun-Belle Shimmer and I've come for my father!"

"Your father is a thief."

"Liar!"

"He stole one of my roses. And in return, he'll stay here for the rest of his life."

"A life sentence? For picking _one_ flower?!"

"Apparently so." Mr. Bursts grumbled.

"Quiet, you!" The figure yelled at the stallion.

"Wait! _I_ asked for the rose." Sun-Belle said. "Punish me, not my father."

"Is that so?" The figure asked. "…You would _really_ take his place?"

"What?! No, Sun-Belle, you can't! You don't know what you're doing!" Mr. Burst protested.

"If I did, would you let him go?" Sun-Belle asked.

"Yes, but… you have to promise to stay here forever." The figure said.

"Wait… come into the light." Sun-Belle said, narrowing her eyes.

Reluctantly the figure slowly stepped into the light of a burning torch on the wall only for Sun-Belle to gasp in shock. The tall dark figure was revealed to be an enormous and hideous manticore Beast with gray hair and big blue eyes.

"No, Sun-Belle. I won't let you do this!" Mr. Burst cried, but it was too late.

She stepped forward and hesitantly said, "You have my word."

"Done." The Beast said before unlocking the cell door and letting the stallion out.

Sun-Belle looked back at her father with tears welling in her eyes; she gave her father a tight hug before he was carried off by the Beast. Before Mr. Burst left the castle, the Beast told him,

"One more thing; you will tell _nopony_ of this place."

And with that, the castle doors slammed shut right in Mr. Burst's face, leaving him in a state of shock and sadness. He turned around to go back home only to find out that he's already home.

Back at the castle, Sun-Belle was left standing at the bottom of the stairs while still staring at the Beast.

"What are you looking at?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I… I'm sorry." Sun-Belle said, trying to hold back tears. "You know… I'll never see him again, right?"

"Uh… I'll show you to your room." The Beast reluctantly said.

"My room? But I thought…"

"Do you want to stay up in the tower?"

"No."

"Then follow me."

The Beast led the mare to a bed chamber of the finest furniture with silk on everything, the bed was an antique four poster with garnet red and golden yellow damask silk for the bedding and curtains, certainly the most beautiful Sun-Belle had ever seen. She sat on the bed and she was surprised at how comfortable it was. She looked at the walls of the room and she saw that they were lined with shelves filled with books of all kinds and the walls themselves were painted aqua green and there was a large golden sun painted on the ceiling where the chandelier was hanging; the sun resembled her own cutie mark.

"I hope this will be fine for you." The Beast said.

"It's… great. Thank you." Sun-Belle said.

"You're welcome. I'll see you later… milady."

Before giving a quick bow to her, the Beast then left leaving Sun-Belle to get used to her new home. Sun-Belle didn't know what to think now; but when she was a little filly, she learned from her wise old grandmother that she should always look on the bright side of things, even if they might seem tough or questionable at first.

A week or two went by and Sun-Belle had already grown accustomed to living in the castle. She was given the best of everything by the Beast, but the best gifts he gave her were rare flowers and lots of books on whatever she wanted to read. The Beast watched as the beautiful unicorn would trot through the garden and hum to herself without a care; he hoped that one day his life could change for the better and Sun-Belle would always be there for him.

Every night, the Beast would hold a grand banquet for Sun-Belle and himself, with the most lavish and delectable of foods and every night as the Beast both retired to his drawing room, he would ask her to marry him and every night she would say no, explaining that she only liked him as a friend and nothing more.

The Beast would always reply, "As you want, milady." And he would leave her be.

A few months had passed and everything stayed the same, both of them happy with each other's company, they had grown accustomed to each other knowing each other's likes and dislikes. Sometimes the Beast would disappear for hours on end and he always came back unhappy and moody. Knowing he would scream at her if she tried to pry, Sun-Belle kept quiet.

Sometimes, she would throw a little party for the Beast to try and cheer him up. A few times it worked, but mostly they didn't. As the roses came in one spring day, Sun-Belle remembered her father, she realized she wanted to go back and see him again. That night as they dined, she asked the Beast to let her go back home.

"Beast, I want to go back to my father." She said.

"Why should I let you go? If you leave, you won't come back." The Beast said, looking away from the mare.

"Let me go, Beast, please. I stayed here for a year already which means I _will_ come back, promise."

The Beast looked at Sun-Belle standing before him and saw that there was truth to her words. He knew what he had to do; he let out a sigh.

"I'll let you go for a week, but then you must come back. Promise me that you will come back on the date I ask."

Sun-Belle smiled a big grin and she hugged the Beast tightly.

"Of course I'll come back. How could I leave my best friend behind? I promise." She said.

The next morning, she was waiting in the foyer to say goodbye to the Beast. He came towards her and hugged her tightly and gave her a beautiful amulet with a blue gemstone in the shape of a balloon. He told her that if she wants to go back home or back to the castle, she'll put the amulet on her head and follow the sun or moon and she'll be there. Sun-Belle gave the Beast her necklace and a big hug as a goodbye gift. She waved goodbye to the Beast before putting on the amulet and she ran out the door and towards the old rock farm by following the rising sun.

The next thing she knew, Sun-Belle could see her old house peeking over the horizon; she was almost home. Mr. Burst looked out at the town; it was so quiet since his little Sun-Belle Shimmer left. But that was soon to change. He saw Sun-Belle come from over the hill to see that the farm hardly changed; sitting just outside the door was her father. Sun-Belle's heart skipped a beat, and she ran to her father giving him a big hug.

"Papa! Oh, Papa, I missed you so much! You have so much to tell me!" Sun-Belle exclaimed joyfully.

Mr. Burst smiled, his daughter had barely changed, except her face, it had a glow of health and happiness.

"Sun-Belle Shimmer, my darling, you've come back! I'm glad that monster didn't hurt you. But how did you escape?" He asked.

"I didn't escape. The Beast let me go to see you." Sun-Belle replied.

"That horrible creature?!"

"Aw, come on. He's not so bad once you get to know him… In fact, he's actually really sweet."

Mr. Burst smiled and hugged his daughter close.

As Sun-Belle was getting ready for bed later that night, she thought about the Beast and she dreamed of him all through the week. The week was up; Sun-Belle woke up with a heavy heart. She went down to breakfast and found her father staring at her with a sad look.

"Please don't leave me again, Sun-Belle." He said. "Can't you stay just one more day, please?"

The tears in his eyes broke Sun-Belle's heart; she was reluctant to stay longer, but also to leave so soon. "Well, I know I promised and all but… Oh, alright. I guess I can stay, but just for one more day. I promised the Beast I'd come back. What's one more day?"

As the sun went down on the eighth day, Sun-Belle felt horribly guilty for breaking the promise she made to the Beast. As she was napping, Sun-Belle had a horrible nightmare about the Beast. She saw him half dead on the floor of the castle, tears were streaming down his face and his claw was clasped around the necklace she had given him before she left. Sun-Belle woke up in tears, she just realized she hurt her best friend in all of Equestria.

"Beast! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" She wept loudly.

Mr. Burst came into her room and saw her in tears.

"Sun-Belle, dear, what's going on? Are you okay? Why are you crying?" He asked.

"Papa! It's… it's the Beast! He… he needs me! I broke my promise to him and I… I feel so guilty about it! I have to go back!" Sun-Belle pleaded through her tears.

Mr. Burst looked at his sobbing daughter and he could tell right away that she was being dead serious about this whole thing.

"Go to him." Mr. Burst said, letting out a sigh in defeat.

"Really? You mean it?" She asked.

"I do. He needs you more than me now…" He said.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Sun-Belle cried with joy.

She hugged her father goodbye one more time, grabbed the magical amulet, put it on her head, and ran out the door as fast as she could back to the Beast's castle. As the moon was now high in the night sky, Sun-Belle was back in the castle. She ran throughout the entire manor calling his name, but there was no sign of the Beast. And soon, she discovered him. Lying on the castle staircase was the Beast. Sun-Belle ran to him and held his body in her hooves; he was so limp and cold. She looked at her friend as he eyes slowly opened to look at her. She let out a fresh spat of sorrowful tears as she held the Beast's claw.

"Beast! Oh, Beast! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I never, ever wanted to hurt you!" Sun-Belle sobbed.

"I thought… I thought you deserted me." The Beast said.

"No, no, no, no! I would never do that! You're my best friend and I would _never_ leave you for dead! This is all my fault. I shouldn't have broken my promise." Sun-Belle cried.

"No, Sun-Belle. Maybe… maybe it's better this way." The Beast said weakly.

"No! Don't talk like that. We're together now. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see. My grandmother always told me to look on the bright side and that's what you should so now." She said as she tried her best to smile.

"At least… at least I got to see you… one last time. I'm sorry, Sun-Belle. I… I love you." The Beast whispered before passing away in the pink pony's embrace.

"No! Please! Please, don't leave me! You can't die! Not now! I care too much about you! Please! I love you, too Beast! You hear me?! I LOVE YOU!"

Sun-Belle began to cry rivers onto the Beast's lifeless body; she didn't want him to die like this. Suddenly, a strange bright light enveloped the Beast, lifting him up into the air, and changing his form. The light was so bright and vibrant that anypony in any city in Equestria could see it; Sun-Belle kept her eyes shut the entire time, she was too sad to even acknowledge it. As the light subsided, Sun-Belle opened her eyes and saw that her beloved Beast was turned into a handsome unicorn stallion with a yellow coat, grayish blue hair, and blue eyes. As he descended, Sun-Belle Shimmer could hardly believe what had just happened.

"Sun-Belle… it's me! Don't you recognize me?" The pony asked as he approached her.

"What? But-but-but… but how can that be? Who the hay are you?" Sun-Belle stammered.

"My name is Prince Comet and I was put under a spell." He answered.

"A _spell_?" She asked, confused.

"Yes." He said. "Many moons ago, I was a spoiled brat living under my parents, they gave me everything and I took it all for granted. And to top it all off, I didn't know how to properly have a good time. One day just to prove the darkness in my heart, a witch stopped by my old home, a castle in the city of Canterlot. When she asked to come in for the night, I denied her request and sent her away. That was when she punished me by using her dark magic to change me into a hideous beast and leaving me in this castle deep within the forest, telling me that I would only turn back to my old self when I was ready to let friendship, love, kindness, and laughter into my heart. I kept myself here, shutting out everypony except for your father. There was something different about him, he told me about you and I knew you were the key to everything. I'm just… so glad that I found you." He kissed her hoof and smiled.

"Wow. That's a lot to take in when you say it all at once. And I gotta admit, this will have to take some getting used to." Sun-Belle said.

"I understand. So… can I ask you something?" The Prince asked.

"Of course, what is it?" Sun-Belle asked.

"Sun-Belle Shimmer…" Prince Comet started as he took her hoof and kneeled before her. "Will you finally… marry me?"

Sun-Belle gasped as she smiled a big grin.

"Yes! Of course I will!" She cried as she embraced the Prince; he hugged her back.

As they were in each other's embrace, swarms of bright, magic light swirled around the two unicorns. The castle reverted back to life and when they opened their eyes, Sun-Belle and Prince Comet were both dressed in beautiful clothes. They quickly noticed that they were now in the castle ballroom which was now as clean and beautiful as can be. The couple then started to dance with many ponies, including Sun-Belle's father, happily watching them. That day, Sun-Belle Shimmer and Prince Comet were married and they all lived happily ever after.


	9. Hansel Mac and Apple-Gretel

Once upon a time in a large forest outside the village, there lived a brother and sister named Hansel Mac and Apple-Gretel. They lived in a small cottage sitting on the edge of the thick forest near their village. Their mother had died when they were very young and their father remarried years later, but their new stepmother was very harsh and spiteful towards the two of them and they didn't know why.

Even though things seemed fine and dandy for everypony at first, the family was dirt poor and they were starting to run out of food. The stepmother was growing very worried, but only for herself, not for the children. After a while, she came up with a plan so that she and her husband wouldn't starve to death.

She decided to leave the two siblings out in the forest the next day so that they wouldn't be able to find their way back home and she and her husband would only have themselves to worry about. That night, Hansel Mac overheard his stepmother talking to herself about her evil plan and decided to do something about it.

The next morning, the group of four went out for a walk in the forest, just as the stepmother had planned. But Mac was prepared; he gathered up some sparkling stones from outside the house the night before and hidden them in his pockets. As they walked, Mac kept leaving more stones on the forest path one at a time. And soon, they stopped and made a small fire.

"Alright Hansel Mac, Apple-Gretel. Your father and I are going to go chop some wood somewhere over there and when we're ready to go home, we'll come back and fetch you. So don't leave this area, understand?" The stepmother said.

"Yes, ma'am." Gretel said.

"Eeyup." Mac added.

"Good. We'll be back."

And with that, the wicked mare and her clueless husband walked off into the trees in a different direction, leaving the children behind. A few hours past; it was almost sundown and their father and stepmother hadn't returned. Apple-Gretel was beginning to worry. She sat close to her brother near the dying fire.

"I'm gettin' a little freaked out, big brother. Ma and Pa are pretty darn late." Apple-Gretel said.

"Sis, ma left us out here on purpose." Mac began. "I overheard her plan last night."

"What?! Oh no! What are we gonna do?"

Gretel began to cry, but her older brother comforted her by wrapping his foreleg around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, lil' sis. Look at the path. I gathered up those stones on the path last night, and I dropped them on our way in here."

"So, what you're sayin' is that if we follow these rocks on the path, we'll get back home?"

"Eeyup!"

"Well, what are we waitin' for then? Let's go!"

The two siblings stood up and followed the stones left on the forest path and just when the moon had risen high in the clear night sky, they were back home and with their father again. He had been worried sick about them and he greeted them with warm open hooves.

"Pa!" They shouted with joy.

"Hansel Mac! Apple-Gretel! You're okay! I was so worried about ya'll!" Their father cried with joy as he hugged them. "Your stepmother told me she lost track of you while we were in the forest! But I'm just so glad to see that you're both okay!"

"We're kinda glad too, pa." Gretel smiled.

"Eeyup." Hansel Mac nodded his head.

On the outside, she appeared to be happy that the two ponies safely found their way home. But on the inside, their stepmother was furious and shocked at them. She decided to play out the same nasty scheme the next morning. Hansel Mac couldn't gather any stones again, but he had a backup plan.

Mac used a small piece of bread he was given to make a path back to the little house, but little did he know that his plan was going to backfire, horribly. As the two sat down by another fire further in the forest this time, they fell asleep and by the time they woke up, the sun was almost completely under the horizon.

"Come on, Gretel. It's gettin' late." He said to his sister as they stood up.

"But how? You didn't leave any rocks on the path this time, did ya?" Apple-Gretel asked.

"Nope, not this time, but don't worry 'bout that. I left a trail of— Oh no!" Mac gasped in shock as he looked back at the path.

"What is it?" Gretel looked to what her brother was seeing and she saw it. The path was bare and the bread crumbs were gone.

"The bread, no!"

"Oh no! The birds must've gotten the crumbs while we were sleepin'! What'll we do, big brother? Now we can't find our way home. We're completely lost out here."

The two siblings slept on the cold, hard ground of the forest the entire night and in the morning, they were back on their way trying to get home again. But they were really hungry and they didn't have enough strength to keep going.

"Hey, what's that smell? Smells good." Apple-Gretel said with her muzzle high in the air.

"You're right. Smells _hoof-lickin'_ good. Wonder what it is." Mac said, sniffing the air as well.

"Come on! Let's check it out!"

The duo followed the smell further down the path and they soon came upon a house and their eyes widened in awe and surprise. This was no ordinary house; it was made entirely out of sweets! The walls were gingerbread, the roof was peanut brittle, the walkway was rock candy, and so much more delicious things were seen all over the building along with a sweet aroma filling the two ponies' noses.

"Hoo-wee! Would ya look at this?!" Apple-Gretel said as she galloped toward the candy house. "I've never seen anythin' like it before. Have you, big brother?"

"Nope, never!" Hansel Mac said as he joined his sister.

"Whose house do ya think it is?"

"Who cares? It's _food_! I'm starved!"

"Aw, the hay with it! _I'm_ hungry, too!"

The two ponies were overcome with excitement when they saw it and they immediately started to eat parts of the house. Hansel Mac was trying some of the roof while Apple-Gretel was eating part of the window pane.

"Taste good?" Gretel asked with her mouth full.

"Eeyup! You?" Mac answered after swallowing.

"You bet your boots it does!"

"Nibble, nibble, like a mouse. Who is eating up my house?" A new voice said from inside.

The two ponies froze in place, unaware of where the voice came from or who it belonged to. Then, out of the candy-coated house, came a strange-looking unicorn mare with deep raspberry pink hair and a lighter pink coat and she was dressed in rags and a hat with a large brim. Hansel Mac and Apple-Gretel backed away from the stranger in fright; they didn't know what to expect from her.

"Hello, children." The mare said kindly.

"Oh, is this your house? We're really sorry to have disturbed you, ma'am." Gretel apologized.

"Not at all, not at all. Look at you poor little ponies. You two are welcome to stay with me as long as you need to." The mare offered.

"Wha'? Oh no, we couldn't. We don't want to impose." Gretel said.

"Oh, no, no, no. Really, I insist. It's no problem at all. Come with me and I'll make you both something _proper_ to eat." The unicorn said as she activated her magic, lifting the two ponies off of the ground and into her candy house.

So, the two Earth ponies stayed with the mare for dinner that night and she even let them sleep in her bed for the night as well.

"Thanks for bein' so nice to us, ma'am." Gretel said.

"Eeyup." Hansel Mac agreed.

"Oh, you're welcome, little ones. It's the least I could do. See you two in the morning." The unicorn said sweetly as she walked out the door and turned off the lights.

The two ponies soon fell fast asleep in the mare's soft bed. But soon, Hansel Mac and Apple-Gretel were in for a horrific surprise. The next morning, the unicorn mare had transformed herself into a tall disfigured pony-like creature with holes in her hooves, a teal mane, tattered insect wings and a gnarled horn.

She took Hansel Mac out of bed and locked him up in a large cage, just like a captured animal in a zoo. This evil, grotesque creature was really a horrid witch named Chrysalis who wanted to eat Hansel Mac and Apple-Gretel for her supper. When Apple-Gretel woke up, she saw her brother gone and the tall creature standing before her; she screamed.

"Oh, Apple-Gretel. Don't you recognize me?" The Witch asked as she levitated the mare off of the bed and dropping her onto the floor.

"You?! Wha… What's goin' on here?! What are ya doin', ya rotten, disgustin' old crow?!" Gretel demanded. "Where's my brother?!"

"Not to worry, child. Hansel Mac is fine, just incarcerated." Witch Chrysalis answered, revealing the cage with Hansel Mac sitting inside.

"Apple-Gretel!" He cried, reaching his hoof through the cage bars.

"Hansel Mac! Let him go!" The Earth mare cried as she tried to grab her brother's hoof, but Chrysalis quickly stopped her. "What do you want him for?!"

"Is it not obvious, my dear? I'm starving and your brother is going to be my next feast!" The Witch said, looking the orange Earth mare in the eye.

But then, a thought popped into her head.

'I can't eat these ponies yet.' She said to herself. 'That stallion has too much muscle, far too tough for my taste. And this mare is too lanky, but just as strong and tough as her brother. They have to be fatter or my meal will be ruined.'

She quickly ordered Apple-Gretel to make a large meal of different kinds of apples, some apple treats, and a barrel of apple cider for her big brother to eat and drink and she ordered her to watch him every minute to make sure that he eats it all up. Mac already had a plan on how he and Gretel can escape the Witch's clutches and Gretel understood what he was up to.

Many days had passed and Mac's plan was working so far. He found on old and thick candy cane and he used it to trick Witch Chrysalis thinking it was his hoof, which worked because of the Witch's horribly poor eyes. But after a few weeks, Witch Chrysalis grew very impatient and decided that today would be the day for her to finally eat.

"That is absolutely, positively it! I can't wait any longer! I'm eating you first thing in the morning!" Witch Chrysalis shrieked, stomping her hoof on the floor.

"What?! No, no, no, no! You can't eat Mac now, Chrysalis! He just needs more time, that's all! Yeah! More time and… more food! That's it! More food! Just don't do this! Not now!" Gretel pleaded furiously.

"No! I've already made up my mind and there's nothing you can say to stop me. Go and get some water from the well and some firewood for tomorrow. NOW!" Witch Chrysalis demanded pointing her hoof at the door and glaring at the mare.

Scared out of her wits, Apple-Gretel ran outside to get more water and firewood. As Witch Chrysalis watched the young mare, she said to herself, "I'm so hungry, I can't stand to wait. Maybe I should try and eat Apple-Gretel first, then Hansel Mac afterwards."

Apple-Gretel overheard the Witch's hushed words and she quickly came up with a little hare-brained scheme of her own to save herself and her brother. The next morning, sometime after dawn, the Witch roughly woke Gretel up from her sleep to start her work. She led the young mare to the oven outside and she opened the door, revealing the yellow, bright orange, and red flames dancing against the stone walls inside.

"Now Apple-Gretel, dear, we'll be baking some bread to soothe my hunger until we cook Hansel Mac, and I need you to climb into the oven and make sure the fire's hot enough." She said, pushing the young mare towards the oven door.

"It's fine, _real_ hot." Gretel said, feeling the fire with her hooves.

"Climb _into_ the oven and check it properly. You won't get it done that way." The Witch said.

"But how am I supposed to get in? I don't know how."

"What are you talking about?! You simply get in! Understand now?"

"Really? 'Cause I don't think I'll fit."

"Of course you'll fit, you imbecile!"

"Ya sure about that?"

"Even _I'll_ fit, you fool! Watch!"

So, the Witch unknowingly stuck her entire head and forelegs inside just mere inches the flames. But while she was distracted, Apple-Gretel used her hind legs to buck Witch Chrysalis into the burning oven entirely, the Witch was screaming and cursing at her all the while. Gretel slammed the metal door shut on her and went to rescue her brother.

"Come on outta there, big bro! She's in the oven! Now we're free!" She declared as she unlocked Mac's cage door.

"Oh, thank you so much, lil' sis!" Hansel Mac cheered as he climbed out of the cage and hugged his younger sister tightly.

"I'm just glad she's gone."

"Me, too. I've never been so excited in my whole life."

"That was pretty scary, huh?"

"Eeyup. Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Gladly."

After the magic around the candy cottage vanished and the Witch was gone for good, the two Earth ponies gathered the treasure Witch Chrysalis had stolen before and they went back into the forest to try and find their way back home. And soon enough, after a few hours of walking, they found themselves back at their cottage and with their father again. Their stepmother had passed away during their absence and now it was only Hansel Mac, Apple-Gretel, and their father and they all lived happily ever after.


	10. Sweetie Alice in Wonderland

Once upon a time in a small quiet town, there lived a pony named Sweetie Alice. Sweetie Alice was always known as an innocent, sweet filly at heart, but she was also known to be very inquisitive and curious. She also tends to daydream almost every day and get distracted easily.

One day, Sweetie Alice and her older sister were in the local park to spend some much needed quality time together. They sat under a big shady tree next to the pond, their pet cat Opalescence lying beside Alice. But after a while, Alice grew tired of having nothing to do. She yawned before sitting up and looking back at her sister.

"For a minute there, I thought I'd fall asleep. Hey, sis? Don't you ever get tired of reading books with no pictures in them?" Alice asked.

"Heavens no, little sister. I get to use my imagination when I read books like this." Her sister said, turning her head away from her book to face Alice. "You know, a good book is almost as magnificent as silk pajamas on a Sunday morning."

"Oh, please. I know _I'd_ fall asleep not having any pictures in _my_ books."

"You can fall asleep doing _anything_ , Sweetie Alice. Perhaps you _enjoy_ dreaming."

"You know, maybe I do." The two ponies shared a few giggles before the mare went back to reading her book.

But after a few minutes, just as her eyes were about to close for a nap, Alice saw a very strange sight. It looked like an ordinary rabbit only it had light purple fur and it was wearing a blue, purple, and magenta waist coat and in its paw was a small golden pocket watch. And just when she thought things couldn't get any stranger, Sweetie Alice heard the rabbit speak.

"Oh, dear! I'm late! I'm late! I'm so late!"

Alice was surprised by the sight she was viewing; what could a little bunny be late for?

"Excuse me, ma'am?" She called. "Can I help you with something? Where are you going?"

"I don't have time to talk! I hardly have any time at all! Oh, I am so, very late!" The rabbit whined as she ran faster into the forest.

"Late for what? Hey, come back! Wait! Stop!"

Burning with curiosity, Sweetie Alice began to chase after the rabbit. She ran straight through the park, up a hill, and into the Everfree Forest trying to catch up with the purple bunny in the waistcoat, but she soon lost sight of the little creature after she ran down a small hole in the ground beside a large gnarled tree.

"Where'd she go?" Alice asked herself before she spotted the hole near the tree. She walked closer to it, looking at the hole all the while.

"Hello? Is anypony down there?" She called.

She stopped near the tree's enormous roots and looked into the dark hole. She was about to shout something else when she suddenly noticed the faint green glow the hole possessed. Alice cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes; what could possibly be making that light?

"Well, _that_ definitely isn't… _normal_ …" She said, slowly walking closer.

But after gazing into the pit for more than a few seconds, she tripped on one of the roots of the tree, her hoof slipped on a piece of dirt and grass below her, and she fell straight into the hole. Alice fell down and down the rabbit hole, screaming all the while. She thought the hole would go on and on forever until finally, she hit solid ground.

"Ow!" She grumbled as she shakily got back on her hooves while rubbing her head.

The minute her vision was in focus, Alice saw that she was standing in the middle of a peculiar room with doors of all shapes and sizes lined up all over the walls.

"What happened? Where am I? What is this place?" She asked herself, looking around the room.

She soon looked at all of the doors surrounding her; it rattled her. She wanted to find a way out and go home. Soon, she began to try and open all of the doors, but none of them would open or even budge.

"They're all locked." Alice said.

She then spotted something in the middle of the room, it was a glass table; it certainly wasn't there before. She walked towards it and noticed a tiny brass key sitting on the translucent tabletop. Alice took the key in her hoof and examined it.

"This has to open at least _one_ of these doors. I guess I'll just have to try them all." She thought.

She used the key to try and unlock one of the doors to get out of the room, but the key wouldn't work for any of the doors or fit any of the locks near the knobs. She groaned and rubbed her forehead in frustration.

Then she saw something on the other side of the room. It was a short blue velvet curtain; it looked like it was covering something else. She walked towards it and moved the curtain to reveal a very small door, smaller than her.

"Maybe the key fits _this_ one." Alice said, smiling a hopeful grin.

She put the key into the lock, turned it, and to her surprise, the door unlocked. As soon as it opened, it revealed the most beautiful garden Alice had ever seen, but she couldn't get out because the doorway was much too small for her to fit through.

"Oh, great! I get the key that unlocks the only door that's not even my size! That's perfect, just perfect!" She ranted.

As she contemplated her predicament, Alice spotted something else on the table: it was a bottle filled with a strange liquid. She walked back to the table, set the key down, and looked at the bottle curiously. It had some kind of odd looking substance inside; it was bright orange with various tints of green and purple. She looked at the label attached to the neck of it.

"'Drink Me'?" Alice said as she opened the bottle. "Should I? Maybe, but what if it's poisoned? But, it _does_ smell pretty good… Maybe a little sip. Just to see what happens."

Even though she was very skeptical at first, she took a tiny gulp from the bottle and swallowed a small amount of the liquid. It had a rather peculiar taste of peach tart, chocolate, butterscotch toffee, and cherry custard mixed together; it was delicious. After the questionable liquid slid down her throat, Alice felt strange. Soon, she began to shrink and shrink until she was much smaller than the table itself; eventually she was just as short as the tiny door.

"Whoa! So _that's_ what that does. Now to get out of here."

She ran back to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked again. She then remembered that she forgot the key on the table. Alice tried her best to climb the leg of the table to retrieve the key, but she couldn't get a grip on it. She tried using her magic to grab the key and bring it down to her, but her magic was still not strong enough and it was now much too heavy for her to lift.

"What now?" She groaned.

But then, Alice spotted a small box near the table's leg. She opened it and took out a small cupcake with a short message on it written in hot pink and bright purple icing.

"'Eat me'?" Alice said to herself, examining the cake in her hoof. "That's a pretty weird message to write on a cupcake. Well… okay, I'll eat it. But who knows what this could do?"

She took a small bite from the cupcake and put it back in the box. The moment she swallowed the tiny bite of mystery cake, the strange feeling Alice felt before returned. Before she knew it, she grew and grew until her horn reached the ceiling of the room.

"Ugh! This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to get out of here now?" She said before a few tears started to fall from her eyes. "I'm stuck! Now… now I'll… never get home!"

And soon, Sweetie Alice began to cry. She cried and wept so much that the entire room had started to fill up with all of the water from her enormous tears. But as the water filled a quarter of the room, Alice saw the glass table.

"Wait… the key!" She exclaimed, the flow of her tears stopping.

She then picked up the key and the bottle with her magic, gulped down the rest of the liquid in the bottle, and she immediately shrank down to the size of the tiny door again only this time, she was swimming in her own tears. Now with the key, Alice took a deep breath, swam back down to the door, unlocked it with the key, and the moment she did all of the water flowed out through the door, along with Alice herself.

"Whoa!" She cried as she washed up onto a river bank.

She climbed out and saw a group of random animals all staring at her with wide eyes; they also appeared to be wet.

"Hello." A mouse with mint green fur greeted the filly.

"Hi." Alice said. "I'm Sweetie Alice."

"Nice to meet you. Hey, do you know where this river came from?" A raccoon with a blue and pink tail asked.

"Oh! Sorry about that. I guess I cried it all out." The filly replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, it's okay. But how are we all supposed to get dry?" A bird with grey feather and yellow eyes asked.

"We could sit in the sun?" Alice suggested.

"That's boring." The mouse said before getting an idea. "Hey, I know! Why don't we have a race around that big tree over there?"

"Great idea, the wind will dry us off! Ready, set, go!" The raccoon called before all of the little animals started to run around the tree.

Alice was very confused but it did look rather fun, so she decided to join in. After a few minutes of running, everyone was finally dry.

"Okay, I'm dry." The bird panted. "Everyone else?"

The others agreed.

"Hey, did I win the race?" Sweetie Alice asked.

"No one wins the tree races, my dear." A brown squirrel wearing a bowtie said.

"Then why do you do it?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just for good old fashioned fun, child." A grey chipmunk said; another bird with blue hair nodded, agreeing with her friend.

"Well, maybe you should try calling it something else." Alice said before remembering what she was doing before. "Oh! Hey, I just remembered something. Have any of you seen a rabbit with purple fur run by?"

"Oh, you mean that one?" The green mouse asked, pointing a paw behind Alice.

Sweetie Alice turned around and saw the rabbit from before. She smiled and thanked the animals for their help before running off after the creature again. But then, she lost the rabbit again and found herself in the garden she saw before. She slowed down as she took in the strange beauty around her.

"Curiouser and curiouser." She said to herself as she walked down the path.

As she walked, Alice took note of the strange plants and flowers around her. Because of her current height, they seemed far larger than those back in Equestria; even the grass towered over her. After wandering around for about a few minutes, she came upon three large flowers. One was a rose, another was a lily, and the last one was a daisy. But what really shocked her was that the flowers were moving by themselves and actually talking to each other.

"Oh what a gorgeous day it is today!" "Indeed it is! How I love spring!" "So wonderful out, I can stay in the sun all day!"

"Uh… excuse me?" Alice said as she tapped one of the rose's leaves.

The three flowers yelped, turned, and saw the little filly standing before them.

"Hi. I'm Sweetie Alice." She smiled.

"Oh! Pardon us, miss." The rose said, lowering her head to get closer to the filly. "We didn't know you were standing there."

"That's okay. Who are you? Do you know where I am?" Alice asked.

"I am Rose and this is Lily and Daisy." The red flower said.

"Hello." The other two flowers greeted, waving their leaves at the filly.

"This garden is gorgeous, probably the most beautiful I've ever seen." Alice remarked.

"Why thank you very much." Rose said proudly.

"What kinda garden do you come from, honey?" Daisy asked.

"Oh, I don't come from any garden. In fact, I'm not even a flower." The filly said.

"You're not?" All three flowers asked.

"That explains it! If you were a flower, you'd be a pretty weird looking one." The lily said, examining Alice more closely. "I mean, come on! Two-toned petals with FOUR white stems?"

"Yeah, and no fragrance either!" Rose said.

"And is that thing?" Daisy said, playing with Alice's skirt before spotting her cutie mark. She gasped dramatically. "Girls! This filly has… the Mark!"

"THE MARK?!" Lily and Rose cried.

"You mean my cutie mark?" Alice asked, looking at her flank curiously.

"This is awful!" Lily yelled.

"The horror! The horror!" Rose cried before she and the other two flowers attempted to faint.

Sweetie Alice was very with the flowers' reaction to seeing her cutie mark and why they seemed so scared. But she didn't want to bother then anymore, so she quickly walked away from them before she exited the garden and entered a forest on the other side. She stopped and looked around the area. The forest was a strange sight to behold; it looked very much like the Everfree Forest back in Equestria. But this forest was brighter, more colorful, and _definitely_ not as frightening as the Everfree. She continued on her way to search for the little purple rabbit. But after a while, Alice grew weary and she decided to sit down and rest.

"I'm never going to find that rabbit at this rate." She groaned as she sat in the dirt.

"At _this_ rate, you're not gonna find _anything_." A familiar voice said.

"At _that_ rate, you're not getting any _younger_ , either." Another recognizable voice added.

Alice yelped in surprise and suddenly stood up. She whipped her head around to see two strange ponies. They bore a very, very striking resemblance to two young ponies in her class. Only these two were wearing some very odd outfits. They wore red and yellow horizontal striped shirts with royal blue overalls and little orange and green propeller hats on their heads.

"Uh, excuse me?" Sweetie Alice asked nervously. "I don't mean to be rude or anything but—"

"Of course you don't mean to be rude!" The colt taller than Alice said. "You don't look or seem like a rude filly to me."

"Or me!" The other colt added. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Tweedle Snips and this is Tweedle Snails. At your service."

They each took a bow.

"And you are?" They asked in unison.

"Sweetie Alice." She replied with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Alice." Tweedle Snails said as he wrapped a hoof around her shoulder. "Now, where are you off to?"

"I'm just trying to find a purple rabbit." Alice replied.

"Why?" Tweedle Snips asked.

"I'm curious to know where she's going."

"Oh, you're curious, huh?"

"You know what they say, 'Curiosity killed the cat' …or the Tantawocky."

"The Tantawocky?"

Both Tweedles gasped at the filly's question.

"You don't know the Tantawocky?!" Snips cried.

"How could you not know?!" Snails added.

"Uh… I don't know. Maybe you could enlighten me?" Alice asked as she nervously shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, if that's what you want." The Tweedles said before clearing their throats.

It was then that the colt began to recite a strange and rather frightening poem.

" _`Twas brillig, and the slimy stones_

 _Did gyre and gimble in the wave:_ " Tweedle Snips said.

" _Ol' flimsy were the borogrones,_

 _And the tone-raths outgrave._ " Tweedle Snails added.

" _"Beware the Tantawock, young one!_

 _The jaws that bite, the wings that slash!_

 _Beware the Loo-Loo bird, and shun_

 _The furicious Haberdash!"_ "

" _She took the Vorpal Gems in tow:_

 _Long time the manxome foe she sought_

 _So rested she by the Harmony Tree,_

 _And stood awhile in thought._ "

" _And, as in snuffish thought she stood,_

 _The Tantawock, with eyes of flame,_

 _Came spiriting through the Cascade Wood,_

 _And snarled as it came!_ "

" _One, two! One, two! And through and through_

 _The Vorpal Jewels went flicker-flack!_

 _She left it dead, with its stone head_

 _She went gallóping back._ "

" _"And, has thou slain the Tantawock?_

 _Come to me, my dear little miss!_

 _O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"_

 _He chortled in his bliss._ "

" _`Twas brillig, and the slimy stones_

 _Did gyre and gimble in the wave:_

 _Ol' flimsy were the borogrones,_

 _And the tone-raths outgrave._ "

"The end." The Tweedles concluded.

"Whoa, that was a pretty creepy story." Alice said with a slight shiver. "This Tantawocky thing sounds pretty terrible."

"Oh, it is." Snips said.

"You have no idea." Snails added.

"Well, now who wants to play a game?"

"A game?"

"That's right!" Tweedle Snips said. "Wanna play hide-and-seek? Or tag? Or jump rope? Or a seven-legged race? Or Rock, Paper, Scissors? Or Duck, Duck, Horse? Or Hopscotch? Or—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She stopped the colt before he could continue his enormous list of games. "Hold up. I never said—"

"—you didn't want to play with us?" Tweedle Snails interrupted. "That must mean yes! I knew you'd say that! Tag-and-seek it is! You're it! Ready, set, go!"

And with that, the Tweedles ran off in different directions, stupidly laughing and giggling all the while. Not wanting to interrupt their random game, Alice ran away from the colts without them even noticing. As she ran, Alice thought about what the Tweedles said about the Tantawocky and she wondered what it could be or mean. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't see where she was going and she bumped into a large white mushroom with bright magenta spots. Alice looked up and saw a large blue caterpillar with purple eyes and white hair sitting on top of it. This creature appeared to be wearing a purple cape with stars on it with a matching wizard hat and it looked like it was blowing sparkling bubbles through a magic wand shaped bubble wand.

"Oh, beg your pardon! I'm sorry." Alice apologized.

"Would you mind watching where you're going?" The caterpillar asked. "I'm busy."

"Busy doing nothing?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The creature asked, glaring at the little filly before her.

"I mean you're not really all that busy. You're just sitting on that mushroom doing nothing but… blowing _sparkly bubbles_!?"

Sweetie Alice looked up and saw the multi-colored bubbles sparkling like stars mixed with glitter floating above her head; her jaw dropped and her eyes seemed to brighten up and sparkle in wonder.

"You like?" The caterpillar asked.

"Yeah. I like very much." Alice said, her eyes transfixed on the bubbles. She suddenly shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked back at the caterpillar. "Oh, sorry for staring. I get distracted easily. What's your name?"

"It's quite alright." The caterpillar said, sitting up. "Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me the Great and Powerful Caterpillar Trixie!"

"Seriously? That's kind of long. Can't I just call you Trixie?" Alice said.

"Whatever. Now, you didn't tell Trixie _your_ name." Trixie said.

"Oh, it's Sweetie Alice. Do you think you can tell me how to get to normal size?"

"Normal size?"

"Yeah."

"Explain?"

"Well, it's… kind of hard to explain. Ever since I came here, I've been changing non-stop. First I was small, then I was big, and now I'm small again and right now I'm lost in the middle of nowhere. Can you help me, please?"

Trixie thought about it for a moment. She didn't know this filly at all and she just showed up out of nowhere, how was she so sure the child could be trusted? Also, this particular caterpillar isn't known for helping other ponies.

The caterpillar finally said, "Alright, alright. Trixie will help you and Trixie wants you… to taste this mushroom Trixie is sitting on."

Alice looked down at the mushroom and looked back up at the blue caterpillar, giving her a confused look.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because it's magical. The right side will make you grow taller and the left side will make you grow shorter. Get it?"

"But mushrooms are round. How am I supposed to figure out which side is which?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. You should at least give it a try… unless you want to stay the same height as Trixie for the rest of your life."

"Okay, okay! I'll try."

Sweetie Alice looked at the mushroom very carefully and tried to guess which side she should try. So, she leaned in and took a small bite. But no sooner did she swallow than her neck began to grow and grow until her head was above the tops of the trees.

"This is so weird! Where's that mushroom?" Alice cried before she took a bite out of the other side. And with that, her neck shrank down to its original length.

"You okay?" Trixie asked.

"Phew!" Alice exclaimed. "That was a close one. For a second, I felt like a giraffe up there. I hope I never have to do _that_ again."

Little did she know that Trixie was laughing like mad pretty much the entire time, salty tears running down her face. The filly's eyes widened.

"Hey!" Alice shouted. "You tricked me!"

"You got that right!" Trixie exclaimed, catching her breath and calming down.

"Why?"

"Trixie just needed a good laugh. Don't take everything so personally. Take a joke!"

"But—"

"Okay, okay! Just pop one of my bubbles and you'll grow tall again."

"How am I supposed to know this isn't another trick?"

"Trust me. Cross my heart, hope to glide, stick some jelly in my side."

"Okay, fine."

Alice approached one of the sparkling bubbles and she touched it with her horn. And in an instant, it popped and she grew back to her normal size.

"Whoa!" Alice exclaimed, looking back at the now tiny Trixie. "I guess you were telling the truth that time. Gotta go. Thanks, by the way."

"Happy to help." Trixie said, grinning and waving goodbye as Alice walked away deeper and deeper into the forest. As soon as she was gone and out of hearing range, Trixie's smile faded.

"Finally! I thought she'd never leave! So serious, these ponies." She said to herself before she continued her bubble blowing.

As more time dragged on, Sweetie Alice continued further and further into the forest until she was convinced that she totally lost her way again. She looked at a few of the signs nailed to some of the trees, but they were no help at all. They all read and pointed in random directions, no point in following them.

"Well, none of these signs are much help. Where am I now?" She asked herself.

"You lost, kid?" A strange and high-pitched voice voiced.

"Well, yeah I am… Huh? Who said that?" Alice asked, curiously looking around.

" _I_ did." The voice said again.

Alice looked up and she saw a pink and blue striped cat with large, bright blue eyes, poufy magenta and blue hair, and a huge, toothy smile spread across its face sitting on a tree branch.

"Oh! A cat? How did you get up there?" Alice asked.

"Strawberry cinnamon cilantro salutations!" The cat said in a high voice.

"Yah! Oh! Wait, you… you can talk?!" Alice exclaimed.

"Of course I can talk!" The smiling creature declared.

"But how? You're just a cat."

"Not just _any_ cat, sweetheart. Most ponies here call me… Cheshire Pie. Nice to meet you."

"Uh… nice to meet you, too."

"Ooh! Look at what I can do!"

After she spoke, the pink cat suddenly disappeared in a bright pink and blue wisp of smoke and she reappeared right next to Alice. The cat giggled loudly and smiled as the filly yelped and jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa! How can you do that? That's impossible." Alice exclaimed.

" _Nothing's_ impossible around these parts, kid." Cheshire Pie explained as she floated back up to her branch. "But enough about _me_. Who are _you_?"

"I'm Sweetie Alice and I'm kinda lost."

"Yeah, I gathered that from you looking at the signs."

"I just don't know where to go from here."

"Well, it all kinda depends on where you wanna get to. Where is it you want to go exactly?"

"I don't care, I just want to get out of this forest. Hey. Do you think you could tell me the way out of here?"

"To be completely honest with you, I have no idea."

"Oh, okay. Later."

"But that doesn't mean I won't help you. Lucky for you, I just so happen to know somepony else who could help you… if you can get him to."

"Really? Who?"

"My friend, the Hatter; he's the craziest, wildest, and silliest creature in the entire land. I'll take you to see him and his friends right now. He knows this place like the back of his paw… or claw or… whatever he has. Just follow me."

So, Sweetie Alice followed the smiling feline through the dense trees and plants until the two came upon a small garden surrounded by a little white picket fence.

"Here we are, Alice; the Hatter and his friends are just behind this gate and right now, they're in the middle of a tea party." Cheshire Pie said.

"Are you sure I should just walk in?" Alice asked hesitantly.

"And don't be scared, they won't hurt a fly… even if you barge in on their party. But I must warn you, they're all kinda… mad." The cat whispered in Alice's ear.

"Mad? But… but I don't want to come around mad ponies, or any other creature for that matter." Alice said, a concerned look on her face.

"Oh! Well, you can't really help _that_."

"What do you mean?"

"Basically, we're _all_ mad here! Everyone you've met on your journey, they're mad too! I'm mad, you're mad! What's the difference?"

" _Me_? How do _you_ know I'm mad?"

"You must be. If you _weren't_ , you wouldn't even _be_ here, now would you?"

"Uh…?"

"Have fun!"

"Wait! But what if I—?"

Before another word could be said, Cheshire Pie was already gone in a wisp of pink and blue vapor. Even though she was rather afraid to go in, Sweetie Alice pushed the gate door open a tiny crack and cautiously peeked into the garden.

She saw a very long dining table covered with a fancy white tablecloth and any and all tea party needs including teacups, saucers, spoons, forks, knives, and so many teapots that she couldn't even count them all. She also saw jellies, creams, pastries, pies, cakes, candies, butter, donuts, loaves of bread, and of course many different kinds of tea and juices all scattered about the tabletop. There were also many chairs surrounding the table, but Alice could see that there were only three guests and they looked so strange to her.

One of them was a hare about her size with fur in shades of purple and green while wearing a little suit in various shades of bluish purple and yellowish green. Another was a tiny mouse with yellow fur and long pink hair that was wearing a little teal dress and a fancy feathered hat. And the last one was a tall, mismatched creature called a draconequus who was wearing a long brown jacket, a green and gold diamond patterned vest, fingerless gloves, a large polka-dot bow tie around his neck, and a tall top hat on his head.

They all seemed to be talking and laughing while having various cups of tea and different kinds of sweets and foods spread about. Alice soon overheard the draconequus say:

"But that's not all. When I went to look for them again, they were all up in the tree! _Orange_ you glad you joined me today?"

The mouse and the hare laughed like maniacs at their friend's joke. "Oh, Hatter! I don't think Spike and I have ever known anypony as funny as you!" The mouse giggled as she gave the hare a high-paw.

"You got that right, mousy! That was so funny; you made cake frosting squirt out my nose!" The hare agreed, laughing loudly.

"Thank you! Thank you all!" The abnormal host declared, taking a bite out of his teacup.

But the draconequus soon saw Sweetie Alice looking at him and his friends through the open gate; he smiled slyly. With a snap of his fingers, the creature teleported the filly right next to him in a bright flash. She yelped and looked at him.

"Uh… hi?" Alice said nervously.

"Why hello, young filly! It's about time we've had another guest! What's your name?" The draconequus asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Sweetie Alice." The filly said politely. "And who are you?"

"Oh, of course! How rude of us!" The beast stood up from his chair and looked at his companions, urging them to introduce themselves first.

"I'm… Fluttermouse." The tiny mouse replied softly before smiling and waving at Alice.

"March Spike." The hare said, jumping up and down while waving his arms.

"And _I_ am Tarrant Discord, or the Mad Hatter, at your service." The Hatter said, giving a bow.

"Well, it's really nice to meet you. And… I was kinda hoping you'd be willing to help me with something." Alice said.

"Of course! What is it you need help with, my dear?" The Hatter asked. He seemed to be taking an interest in little Sweetie Alice.

"Well… I was looking for a certain rabbit. I've been chasing her all over the place just to ask her where she was going. And I lost her."

"Did this rabbit have purple fur and was she carrying a watch?" March Spike asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Alice asked.

"Because we know her!" Fluttermouse exclaimed.

"You do?"

"Indeed we do. Her name is Twi-Rabbit Sparkle and she works as a page for her majesty, the Queen." The Hatter said nodding his head.

"Oh, of course! _That's_ why she said she's so late!"

"Yes, my dear Alice. She's always fussing about things being perfect and being on time and dull things like that. Quite a _boring_ job if you ask me."

"Hey, Alice! Wanna see me do a trick?" March Spike asked.

Alice nodded and in response, Spike grabbed a spoon, a plate of butter, and one of the teapots, he put the spoon, the pot, and the plate on his nose and he kept them above him, like a little balancing act. Alice and Fluttermouse giggled and applauded, but the Hatter merely smiled. When he stopped, the teapot and butter fell right onto Spike's head and he just laughed.

"Spike, not at the table! Don't be rude!" The Hatter scolded. He looked back at Alice and lightly gasped. "Oh, but where are _my_ manners? Please, have some tea, dearie! I insist!"

The Hatter then grabbed a small teacup and a saucer with his tail, placed them in front of Alice, levitated a teapot off of the table, poured some tea into the cup, and he even added some cream and a lump of sugar.

"Here you are." He said, setting the pot down.

"Thanks, Mr. Hatter." Alice said before stirring her tea and taking a sip.

"You're very welcome. Oh, darling Sweetie Alice, you seem like a clever little filly. Perhaps you could answer this. Why is a raven like a writing desk?" The Hatter asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Why is a raven like a writing desk?' Alice loved solving riddles. She tried to think of a good answer, but she was clueless. "I give up. Why _is_ a raven like a writing desk?" She asked.

"I haven't the slightest idea." The Hatter replied.

"Why'd you ask the question, then?" She asked, confused.

"I was hoping for an intelligent answer… or at least a _hilarious_ one. Wait. Sweetie Alice, do you like to sing?" The Hatter asked. She nodded. "Do you know Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?"

"Yeah. I do." Alice began to sing the first half of the song.

" _Twinkle, twinkle little star,_

 _How I wonder what you are._ "

"Oh, no, no, no. No offense or anything, but that won't do. You have a lovely singing voice though. But I prefer Twinkle, Twinkle Little BAT. It goes like this." The Hatter cleared his throat and began to sing.

" _Twinkle, twinkle little bat,_

 _How I wonder what you're at._

 _Up above the world you fly,_

 _Like a tea tray in the sky._

Second verse, everypony!"

Then, March Spike and Fluttermouse began to cheerfully join in with the Hatter's song with Alice giggling all the while.

" _Twinkle, twinkle little bat,_

 _How I wonder what you're at._

 _Up above the world you fly,_

 _Like a tea tray in the sky._ "

When they finished, Alice laughed. "I have to admit, you guys do make me laugh."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The Hatter said giving a bow. His friends did the same.

"If you guys don't mind my asking… what's her majesty like? The Queen, I mean." Alice asked.

"The _Queen_!? Oh, she is just horrid! A true terror!" The Hatter exclaimed, taking a few gulps of tea straight out of a nearby pot.

"You got that right, Hatter! She's awful, I never liked her!" The March Spike scoffed, nodding his head and stuffing his face with a large piece of cake.

"She's nothing but a big, loud meanie. Serious trouble, I tell you." Fluttermouse added softly, sipping a bit of her tea.

"What?!" Alice cried, nearly spitting out her tea. "You don't respect your Queen?!"

"Of course not! Have you _seen_ the way she rules Wonderland?!" The Hatter ranted. "I'm surprised everypony is still around! I thought they would've _all_ been executed by now!" The Hatter crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down into his chair.

"Executed?! What are you talking about!?"

"Fine. If you don't believe me or my friends, I guess I'll just have to show you."

And with that, the Hatter stood up from his chair, snapped his fingers, and in an instant, he and Sweetie Alice were teleported to the middle of a large, beautiful, and extravagant garden next to a stunning, magnificent castle.

"Whoa! Where are we?" Alice said, rubbing her head with her hoof.

"We're in the castle gardens." The Hatter answered.

"Why'd you bring me _here_?"

"To show you how horribly the Queen treats Wonderland and its residences."

The Hatter looked around the area and soon, his sensitive ears picked something up. It sounded like worried voices from another part of the garden.

"Come with me." The Hatter said as he took Alice's hoof.

The two walked towards the sound and they discovered the source. There were three Earth pony stallions dressed in red, black, and white armor and it looked like they were painting bushes. Alice was confused.

"Hey, Mr. Hatter? Who are those guys and what are they doing?" She asked.

"They're three of the Queen's soldiers, but I have no idea what they're up to." The Hatter said.

"Maybe we should ask them."

" _You_ can. _I'm_ staying out of sight where it's safe."

Alice let go of the Hatter's paw and walked to the soldiers while the Hatter hid behind one of the hedges and watched Alice. As she got closer, she could see their cutie marks. They were the exact same thing; an equal sign. And she could also see that they were painting the flowers on a rose bush. The flowers were white and they were being painted a bright red.

"Excuse me? What are you doing to these flowers?" Alice asked.

The guards screamed in fright, turned around, and saw Sweetie Alice standing before them. They all sighed in relief.

"We're sorry about that, miss. You scared us." One of the guards said.

"Oh, sorry. I was just wondering why you were painting those flowers." Alice said.

"Well, miss, the Queen likes red roses, but we planted white ones by accident." Another guard explained. "So we're painting the buds red so she won't notice our mistake. But if she _does_ notice, then we'll all lose our heads. Serious trouble."

"Yeesh. Then, let me help you." Alice offered, grabbing a brush and beginning to paint.

She looked behind her to see the Hatter behind a bush and giving her a smug look. She ignored it and went back to helping the soldiers. But as soon as Alice began painting one of the smaller buds, she and the other guards heard a great fanfare; the soldiers knew what that meant.

"The Queen is coming! Everypony, bow!" The guards shouted in horror as they bowed down as quickly as they could.

"Should _I_ bow, too?" Alice asked.

A guard nodded his head 'yes' and pulled Alice down to the ground to do the same thing. Soon, she saw more soldiers like the three near her, only they had big creepy smiles plastered on their faces. When they stopped, Alice saw a wonderfully radiant pony standing before her. She was a unicorn mare with a pinkish coat, purple and aquamarine hair, Persian blue eyes, and a golden crown atop her head. She was wearing a red, black, and white dress with little stars littered all over the bodice, skirt, and collar. But before the mare was Twi-Rabbit Sparkle! Only this time, she was wearing a white, black, and red star patterned uniform and blowing a trumpet.

"Announcing the arrival of Her Imperial Highness, Her Grace, Her Excellency, Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Stars!" Twi-Rabbit announced, revealing the crowned pony.

It was then that the unicorn mare finally noticed Sweetie Alice bowing with the three guards and that she definitely wasn't one of them.

"And who is this?" The mare asked, looking down at Alice.

"Oh, this? This is… is…" Twi-Rabbit saw Alice and she immediately recognized her from earlier that day. She made a frightened expression.

"My name is Sweetie Alice, Your Majesty." Alice replied, standing up and curtsying.

"Well, a pleasure I'm sure. What exactly are you doing in _my_ garden… with _my_ guards? And what are these pots of paint and brushes doing here?" The mare asked. She then noticed the rose bushes behind Alice and her eyes widened in shock. She saw the white buds and the painted ones; this made her very angry. "These flowers are _white_! And you three tried to trick me by painting them _red_!" She screamed.

The three guards immediately shot up from their current positions, stood up straight, and they all looked at the Queen with terrified expressions on their faces. They immediately hid behind Alice for protection.

"Please forgive us, Your Majesty!" "It wasn't our fault, Your Majesty!" "It wasn't _me_ , it was _him_!" "No, _him_!" "No, _him_!"

"Spare me your worthless excuses! Off with their heads!" The Queen shouted.

But before some more guards would grab the three cowering ponies, Sweetie Alice stepped between the trio and the Queen to protect them.

"No! Your Majesty, please don't hurt them!" She protested.

"What did you just say to me?" The Queen asked, glaring darkly at Alice who stood tall.

"I said no." Alice answered, glaring back at the Queen.

"I see that you're… strong. Smart, compassionate. Perhaps… you would care to join me and the rest of the royal court for a game of croquet." The Queen offered, putting on a fake smile.

"Croquet?" Alice thought for a moment. "Uh… sure, I'll play, if you'll show me how."

"Splendid. Follow me."

So, Alice followed the Queen to the middle of the garden where the croquet equipment was to be set. Everypony of the royal court was gathered around and they were ready to start the game. Some of the soldiers stood in strange positions, almost like hoops. But what Alice didn't know was that she was supposed to let the Queen win.

"So… what are the rules?" Alice asked.

"The rules are quite simple; you must knock your hedgehog ball through the hoops with a flamingo mallet." The Queen explained. "And whoever gets their ball through all of the hoops and at the end of the court first wins."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Yes, but I must warn you. I have _never_ lost a game of croquet… _ever_. Now let the game begin! _I_ go first!"

Alice definitely felt pressure at this point. The Queen stepped up, grabbed a flamingo mallet with her magic, and took her position. A little balled up hedgehog was placed in front of her mallet and she waited. And then, she hit the ball with her flamingo's head. The ball rolled through most of the hoops and when it stopped, everypony applauded and cheered. She kept on posing and making model faces; Alice rolled her eyes.

"Your turn, dear." The Queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Alice said as she stepped forward with her flamingo mallet.

Soon, Alice took her position and readied herself. She took in a deep breath and looked at her targets. She was about to hit the ball, but the hedgehog and flamingo looked so cute and innocent that she couldn't bring herself to do it. But in the corner of her eye, she could see that the Queen was getting very bored of waiting.

"HIT THE BALL OR OFF OR IT'S OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" The Queen screamed.

Alice screamed in surprise and she hit the hedgehog ball with the flamingo so hard that the ball practically went flying through all of the hoops at top speed and stopped at the end of the court. Everypony was in shock, especially Her Majesty. The Queen of Stars lost to a filly at croquet, _her_ signature game. Everypony else cheered in honor of Alice; though she was confused.

"What just happened? Did I lose?" Alice asked, opening her eyes and looking at the court.

"Quite the contrary, Miss Alice… You won the first round!" Twi-Rabbit answered.

Alice looked back at the court and she realized that the bunny page was right. Her hedgehog ball had made it all the way across the court and through all of the hoops in one shot.

"Whoa, didn't see that coming." Alice cheered, jumping up and down.

But the Queen was glaring darkly at the filly, her face twisting into an enraged sneer.

"Nopony beats me at croquet! NOPONY!" She shrieked.

"Wait! I didn't mean to, Your Majesty, honest." Alice tried to argue.

"Um, Your Majesty! There's really no need to go overboard! It's only the first round and she did beat you fair and square. Nothing else to it." Twi-Rabbit tried to explain.

"I don't recall asking _you_ to speak, you overgrown tie-died rat!" The Queen said, pushing the bunny out of the way and walking closer to Sweetie Alice.

'Well, that was uncalled for.' Twi-Rabbit thought.

"What do you have to say for yourself, child?" The Queen asked the filly.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Alice apologized nervously. "I didn't even know what I was doing back there. Really and truly."

"Oh, please! Don't start with any pointless excuses! Get this through your little head, missy; if I lose my temper a second time… you lose your head, UNDERSTAND!?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Hmm, good. Let us continue the game, shall we?"

The Queen then turned around and grabbed her mallet to try and make another shot to start the next round. Just before she could make it, however, Cheshire Pie suddenly appeared atop the skirt of her dress; Alice's eyes widened in shock. The cat was holding a silver pie tin filled with whipped cream in her paw and she has a wicked smile on her face.

"Should I do it?" The cat whispered, winking at Alice. "What do you think her reaction would be? Oooh, this is gonna be so funny."

Alice shook her head and glared at Cheshire Pie, non-verbally telling her not to do anything stupid. But before anypony else knew it, Cheshire Pie suddenly squished the pie tin right onto the Queen's head, covering her mane and face in sticky, sugary white cream and the tin sitting over her crown. The Queen was enraged. Everypony gasped as Cheshire Pie disappeared, crazily laughing all the while.

"She kinda deserved it, huh?" She whispered to Alice before vanishing.

"Who did this?!" The Queen shouted.

She turned around only to see Alice. She winced; her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. She pointed her hoof at the filly and screamed,

"YOU! I knew you were up to something! That does it! Off with her—"

But before the Queen could finish her ranting, Twi-Rabbit fearfully interrupted her by pulling on the skirt of her dress. Alice gave a sigh of relief.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty. But couldn't she have a trial… _first_?" Twi-Rabbit asked.

"A trial?" The Queen asked, glaring at the rabbit.

"Just a little trial? It's only fair." Twi-Rabbit reasoned.

"Yes! Please, please, please, Your Majesty!" Alice begged, falling to her knees.

"Hmmmm… very well. Let the trial begin!" The Queen announced.

And before she knew it, Alice was standing in the middle of an already crowded courtroom filled with strange creatures of all kinds. And sitting at the desk in front of everypony was Twi-Rabbit Sparkle as the judge and the Queen sitting above her. Alice sported an awkward grin; her eyes filled with a look of pure worry.

"Your Majesty, members of the jury, loyal humble and subjects, and the prisoner." Twi-Rabbit announced. "This young filly standing before you is charged with enticing Her Majesty, the Queen of Stars, winning a game of croquet and thereby willfully annoying our beloved ruler through teasing, tormenting—"

"Never mind all that!" The Queen interrupted. "Get to the part where I lost my temper!"

"Okay, okay!" Twi-Rabbit said. "Thereby causing the Queen to lose her temper! There! Satisfied? HAPPY… your Majesty?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you. Now, are you ready for your sentence?" The Queen asked Alice.

"Sentence? But there has to be a verdict first." Alice clarified.

"Sentence first, verdict afterwards."

"What? But… but no, that's not how it goes. This isn't the right way to—"

"ALL ways are MY ways! You should've learned that by now!"

"Oh! Uh… yes, Your Majesty! I'm sorry, I'll shut up now."

"Good, thank you."

But before the Queen could say another word, Twi-Rabbit interrupted her again by tugging her dress.

"Your Majesty, consider. We've called no witnesses. Couldn't we call up just a few?" The rabbit said.

"Ugh! Fine, very well. BUT GET ON WITH IT! My patience is running thin!" The Queen shouted.

Alice gave a small sigh as she rolled her eyes. The first witness who was called up was March Spike. When he was brought forth, he was holding a cup of tea in one paw and a piece of blueberry pie in the other. He sat down and Twi-Rabbit looked at him.

"Mr. Spike, what do you know of this unfortunate affair?" Twi-Rabbit asked.

"Nothing. I don't know anything about this." The hare answered simply.

"Are you quite sure?" The purple rabbit asked.

"Positive. I know nothing about it." March Spike replied.

"Nothing whatever?" The Queen exclaimed.

"Nothing whatever! Do I have to keep repeating myself!?" He exclaimed back.

"That is _very_ important! Jury, write that down. Now!"

And with that, the jury started writing what Spike just said in their notepads vigorously; they didn't want to make the Queen any more upset than she already was. But before Alice could say anything else to the crowned pony, Twi-Rabbit called up the next witness; Fluttermouse. She was brought before Her Majesty in a little china teapot.

"What have you to say about this, mouse?" The Queen asked softly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about what happened." Fluttermouse replied before going back into the teapot to hide.

"What are you waiting for? Write _that_ down, too!" The Queen screamed at the jury.

After the jury finished writing, another witness was called; the "Great and Powerful" Caterpillar Trixie. Alice groaned to herself; she hoped at least one of these creatures would vouch for her. The blue caterpillar's uprooted mushroom was set in front of Her Majesty; the Queen looked at Trixie who merely sat while blowing more bubbles.

"Trixie, do you know anything about this atrocious crime?" The Queen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wish I could help, Your Majesty, I truly do. But Trixie is afraid she cannot help. Trixie is just an innocent bystander in all of this. So try not to ask her again." Trixie answered before blowing another bubble.

"But you—" Alice protested before being interrupted.

"QUIET!" The Queen shouted.

"Sorry, Your Majesty." Alice said meekly.

"Now, who's the next witness?" The Queen asked Twi-Rabbit.

"Oh, yes. Of course, let me see." Twi-Rabbit looked at her long list of witnesses. "The next witness is… the Mad Hatter."

'The Hatter?!' Alice thought. 'Oh no! They must've caught him!'

The courtroom doors opened and the Mad Hatter himself was being held down by two bulky Earth pony guards.

"Here he is, Your Majesty." One of the guards said. "We found him hiding in the garden maze. How he got there in the first place? We don't know."

"Bring him forth." The Queen commanded, waving her hoof.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Both guards said.

As they walked to the front of the room, the Hatter was walking behind the guards in shackles. Alice tried to call out to him, but another guard stepped in front of her. The Hatter stopped in front of the desk and gave the Queen of Stars a dark glare.

"What do you know of this unspeakable event, Mr. Hatter?" Twi-Rabbit asked.

"I've been investigating things that begin with the letter "M"." The Hatter replied. "Moron, macabre, mutiny, murder, malice, malevolent, malicious."

"Enough. I want an _answer_ from you now. What do you know of that filly right there?" The Queen asked, pointing her hoof at Alice. "Do you know her?"

The Hatter looked at Alice who was worriedly shaking her head no. He gave her a small smile and slyly winked at her before looking back at the Queen.

"Who? _That_ wee little pony? I wouldn't know who she is." He lied.

'What?! What are you doing?!' Alice thought.

"Is that so? …What if I went ahead of myself and took off _your_ head? Would you know then?" The Queen asked in an irritated tone.

"That will not be necessary." A new voice said.

Everypony turned their heads to look at the doorway and they saw an unbelievably beautiful mare with red and yellow hair, a yellowish orange coat, and sea foam green eyes who was wearing a dress in white and silver. As she calmly walked to the front of the room, the ponies and creatures bowed before the mysterious mare; even the Hatter himself took a bow as she walked past him. The mare activated her magic and took the shackles off of his wrists and ankles while smiling at him, he smiled back. The Hatter made his way to Alice and he stood close by her side, holding her hoof.

"Hatter? Who is that?" Alice whispered.

"That is the White Queen." He whispered back.

"She's beautiful."

When the mare in white came closer, the Queen of Stars stood up from her chair and walked to the floor. The two mares stopped in front of each other, looking each other in the eye.

"Hello, Starlight Glimmer." The White Queen said.

"Hello… Sunset Shimmer." The Queen of Stars said in the same tone.

"Hold up, they know each other?" Alice asked.

"They sure do." A familiar high-pitched voice suddenly whispered in the filly's ear.

The two friends whipped their heads around to see Cheshire Pie herself floating right next to Sweetie Alice. They both nearly screamed in surprise.

"How'd you get there so fast, Chessie?" The Hatter asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm everywhere. You two shoulda learned that by now." She replied.

"Wait. Cheshire Pie, how did _you_ know they know each other?" Alice asked.

"They're sisters. When they were fillies, they NEVER got along. They were always arguing and bickering and fighting and when they finally got their cutie marks, neither one spoke to the other for years… or so I've been told."

"That sounds terrible."

"Indeed." The Hatter explained. "They were at each other's throats since they were foals. Sunset was destined to be Queen, but Starlight must've thought otherwise. After the two grew up and parted ways, Starlight took the crown by force and… things spiraled out of control."

Alice thought long and hard about what her strange friends said; why would two sisters fight as they grew up? It just sounded so sad to her. When she looked back at the two mares, they just stared at each other with looks of disdain and anger in their eyes.

"Starlight, what do you think you're doing?" The mare in white asked.

"I'm doing whatever I wish. What does it look like to _you_ , Sunset? That filly right there is about to be punished for the _greatest_ of crimes." The Queen of Stars answered in a rude tone.

"Ugh! Sister, listen to us; we're doing it again. This isn't right; we don't have to fight like we did before."

"I know what you're doing here. You think you can blink your pretty little eyes at me, acting all innocent, and I'll melt just like mom and dad did."

"Please?" The mare in white offered her hoof to the mare opposite her.

But she pushed her sibling's hoof away from her and shouted, "NO! It is MY crown! _I_ am the eldest! _I_ was always next in line for the throne and _YOU_ know it!"

"It doesn't have to be like this, you know. You can be a better pony." The White Queen offered.

"Enough!" The Queen of Stars declared as her horn began to glow. "For crossing me again, I hereby sentence _you_ to… death by DARK MAGIC!" And with that, a shockwave of bluish green light came from the Queen's horn. She smiled wickedly as her younger sibling gave her a concerned look. "Good luck facing my champion."

Without missing so much as a beat, a roar unlike anyone has ever heard rang through. Following it was a loud crash and an enormous hole formed in the middle of the ceiling. And standing in the hole was a creature with great size and brutal strength. Everypony in the courtroom started to panic; even the White Queen looked scared, but not her sister. She looked perfectly calm and smug all at the same time. But the most horrified one of all was Sweetie Alice; she had never seen a monster like this before.

"Sweet Celestia! What is that thing?!" Alice screamed.

"That is the Tantawocky! The most ruthless and most evil creature in all of Wonderland!" The Hatter shouted.

"It's a servant to the Queen of Stars! Her champion!" Cheshire Pie added.

" _That's_ the Tantawocky?! You mean… that _thing_ works for HER!?" Alice asked, pointing to the Queen of Stars.

"Uh-huh!" Cheshire Pie said.

"Exactamundo!" The Hatter added.

"Isn't there _anything_ we can do to stop it?!"

"What are you talking about!? There's _nothing_ that can stop that creature!" March Spike said over the noise of panic.

"Yes! It's too strong! And not to mention SCARY!" Fluttermouse added.

"But there has to be _some_ way!" Alice insisted.

"Well, there is _one_ way!" Twi-Rabbit commented.

"What is it?!" The filly asked.

"Legend has it that a pony not of this world would one day come to our land and save us all." The White Queen explained. "And some powerful artifacts known only as the Vorpal Gems are the only things powerful enough to stop that monster from demolishing everything in its path."

"We need those Gems! Where are they?" Alice asked.

"I doubt _you_ can make them work!" Trixie protested. "You're just a confused filly who has no idea what she's even doing!"

"Not helping." The White Queen grumbled at Trixie.

"Don't worry. _I_ can fetch them!" The Hatter offered. In a snap, he disappeared and reappeared with a gilded chest in his hands. "Here they are, everypony; the Vorpal Gems."

He opened the chest and it revealed six gemstones in various shapes and colors. Four of them were encased in silver anklets, another had a silver chain to make it look like a necklace, and the final gem was framed on the top of a silver tiara.

"They're beautiful." Alice commented with wide eyes.

"Yes, and very powerful." The White Queen said.

"Ooh! Sparkly!" Cheshire Pie said, reaching out her paw to touch one of the jewels.

"No! Don't touch them! They're dangerous! Nopony was ever able to use them!"

Just then, the Hatter got an idea. He shut the chest and set it atop Alice's back. "Take the Gems and go with the White Queen." He said to her.

"What!?" Alice exclaimed. "No! Hatter, I'm not leaving without you!"

"There's no time to argue. Just go."

"But, Hatter, I can't just—"

"I said go!"

"But—"

"GOOOO!"

Alice still didn't want to leave her friend behind, but she reluctantly ran beside the White Queen when the Tantawocky shot a large bolt of blue fire at the group. The Hatter stayed behind while Alice ran away with the others. But while she was running, she felt something on her flank. She stopped running and lifted the skirt of her dress to reveal her cutie mark; the star and musical note in the three-toned shield were glowing green. It was the same color of the light the rabbit hole was glowing from before; the gems inside the box were also glowing the same color. The chest opened, the six gemstones floated above Alice's head, and they were placed onto her head, neck, and ankles. The White Queen's eyes widened when she looked at the filly.

"Alice… the Vorpal Gems have chosen _you_ to defeat the Tantawocky!" She exclaimed.

" _You're_ the White Queen's champion!" Cheshire Pie exclaimed.

"WHAT?! ME?! Defeat THAT?!" Alice screamed in shock. "But… I can't! I'm just a filly!"

The Hatter looked back at the entrance to see Alice wearing the Gems. He gasped and smiled.

"Alice!" He shouted. "You _are_ her champion! It's fate! If you beat the Tantawocky, then the White Queen takes back the crown and Wonderland will be back to the way it was before!" In a snap, Alice was teleported back next to the Hatter.

"But Hatter, _me_ … beating that _monster_?! I can't do that! It's _impossible_!" Alice shouted.

"Only if you believe it is!" The Hatter said.

'Believe. Impossible.' She thought. She remembered something her sister told her. "You know, sometimes… I believe as many as _six_ impossible things before breakfast." She said.

"That's an _excellent_ practice." The Hatter said, looking back at the Tantawocky. "However, just at the moment… you really might want to focus on the Tantawocky."

At that moment, Alice knew what to do. She stepped forward and faced the Tantawocky on her own. All the while, she was talking to herself about the things she's seen ever since she arrived in Wonderland.

"Six impossible things; count them, Alice. One: there's a potion that can make you shrink. Two: there's a cupcake that can make you grow."

The Tantawocky looked down at the filly standing before it. It stared down on her and nodded its head in the form of a scoff. And much to Alice's surprise, it spoke to her in a low demonic voice.

"Ah, my old foes. We meet on the battlefield once again." It said.

Alice was confused; she cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? We've never met. And there's only _one_ of me."

"Not _you_ , insignificant wielder! My ancient _enemies_ , the Vorpal Jewels." It hissed.

"Okay! That's enough chatter from you, pal!" Alice yelled as she ran towards the creature.

But the Tantawocky dodged the filly's attack and she slid across the slippery room, nearly colliding with a wall. She turned around to face the creature again while listing more impossible things. As she counted, each of the Gems sparked and glowed with every impossibility she listed.

"Three: animals can speak. Four: hatters are magical. Five: there's a place called Wonderland. Six: I can beat the Tantawocky."

With that being said, Sweetie Alice charged at the beast. She grabbed onto its leg and tried her best to hold on, but it was so strong that it violently threw her out of the courtroom and back into the castle garden. But thankfully, a large hedge from the nearby maze broke her fall. When the Hatter saw this, his eyes burned with rage; he wanted to protect his friend, so he raised his left claw and slashed at the Tantawocky's tail. It swung at him, nearly hitting him in the head.

"The Hatter is interfering! Off with his head!" The Queen of Stars commanded.

The Queen's guards stepped forward with their weapons in tow, but the Hatter was having none of that. He snapped his fingers and a large sword appeared in his hands. He took off his hat and he charged with March Spike, Fluttermouse, and Cheshire Pie by his side. Meanwhile, Alice was still trying to fight the Tantawocky. It ran after her through the garden and the courtyard. She looked up at the castle.

'Maybe if I get to a higher point, I might be able to stop it from there.' She thought.

Alice ran straight into the castle, trying to find higher ground, the Tantawocky still following her. When she got to a balcony near the ballroom, she looked up and saw the tallest tower.

'That must be it.' She thought.

Alice ran under her opponent's legs and up the nearest staircase to the tallest tower. And just as soon as she thought she was safe, the Tantawocky met her at the very top. It made a roar unlike any Alice had ever heard while looking at her with a vengeful look; it terrified her. She looked up at the beast, a glint of horror in her eyes; this was her only chance.

Meanwhile back in the garden, the Hatter was still fighting guards off; all the while, looking back at Alice to see if she was alright. Cheshire Pie was fooling some of the guards with her disappearing and reappearing acts. March Spike distracted more guards with silly party tricks and his speed. Fluttermouse tricked some guards by whispering rumors to them that made them fight each other. And the two sisters had a fight using their own magic, since both of them studied advanced magic back when they were fillies.

Back at the tower, Alice jumped onto the Tantawocky and she clung onto its neck when it slipped on some stone. It thrashed its head around trying to make her let go, but she kept a strong grip on it. And when it finally threw her into the air, the Vorpal Gems began to glow brightly and Alice was floating above the monster's head in midair.

"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Alice screamed, her eyes glowing white.

And with that being said, the Vorpal Gems glowed with all of their might, engulfing both Sweetie Alice and the Tantawocky with their magic. Everypony shielded their eyes from the blinding light. When it ceased, Alice safely floated down to the ground still wearing the Gems whose light started to fade. She lay on the grass; her eyes shut and her body still. The Hatter threw away his sword, ran over to the filly, and picked her up in his arms.

"Sweetie Alice! Alice, are you okay!? Speak to me! Speak!" He cried.

Silence. The Hatter held Alice close to his body with tears in his eyes. But then, his sharp ears picked up Alice's soft breathing; he looked and saw that Alice was waking up. She looked at her abnormal friend with tired eyes.

"H-H-H-Hatter?" She asked in a tired voice.

"Alice! You're alright!" The Hatter cried, hugging the filly tightly. "I thought you were gone! Since that thing was attacking you, I had to help! Oh, thank goodness you're alive!"

"Hatter! I'm fine! But right now, the only thing attacking me is _you_!" Alice managed to croak.

"Oh, sorry." Embarrassedly, the Hatter let go of Alice to give her a chance to catch her breath.

"That's okay. What happened? Did I lose the fight?" Alice asked as she used her magic to put the Hatter's hat back on his head.

"Quite the contrary." Twi-Rabbit said, hopping forward and pointing a paw up. "Look at what you've done."

When Alice craned her neck up to see what Twi-Rabbit was pointing at, she gasped in shock. Standing in front of the castle was the Tantawocky, only it was turned to solid stone. And on the ground was its enormous head, it must've broken off when Alice fell. And the best part was that everything around the statue was turned back to the way it was before. Everypony stared, their eyes wide with awe. The Queen of Stars only stared at the headless stone creature with an upset and angry expression on her face.

" _I_ did that!?"Alice cried.

"You _did_." The White Queen said as she approached Alice. "You defeated the Tantawocky and saved Wonderland!"

"KILL HER!" The Queen of Stars screamed, pointing a hoof at Alice.

"We follow you no more… bratty baby." One of the guards bravely said.

"How dare you?! Off with his head!" The Queen commanded.

But when the mare made her demand, every living creature that was in sight dropped their weapons and the guards took off parts of their armor to reveal that they all had individual cutie marks. That was when the Queen felt something deep inside her; she felt her pride crumble, something she had never felt once in her life.

"I'll take that!"

Cheshire Pie took the crown off of the Queen of Stars' head and she set the crown on the White Queen's head instead. The two mares stared at each other.

"Starlight Glimmer, your crimes against Wonderland are worthy of death." The White Queen declared as she approached her sister. "However, since I cannot bring myself to behead my own kin, therefore you're banished to the outlands. Nopony is to show you any kindness or ever speak to you. You won't have a friend in the world."

Starlight rolled her eyes before saying, "Spare me your sentimental nonsense! Unlike _you_ , _I_ gave all of these ponies _real friendships_ they _never_ could've had otherwise!"

"How do you know that?!" One guard shouted.

"Yeah! You never even gave us a chance!" Another guard added.

Starlight was enraged. Before she could cast another spell, however, the Hatter snapped his fingers and in a bright flash, the natural glow of Starlight's magical aura suddenly vanished and steel cuffs and chains were now on her ankles.

"Wha-what happened?! What have you done to me?!" She shouted at the Hatter.

"I just turned off your magic. Now you can't pull any tricks." He answered.

"What?! Sunset Shimmer; you can't let that freak do this to me!"

"He is not a freak. And if you're supposed to be so smart, then maybe you _shouldn't_ be messing around with things you _don't_ understand! Just like the Tantawocky!" The White Queen shouted.

"What are you saying?! I _did_ understand the Tantawocky!"

"No, you didn't! You _still_ don't! If you were supposed to be next in line for the throne, then you shouldn't take ponies' heads off every time someone makes you angry! And worst of all, when you summoned that thing, you put the lives of Sweetie Alice, her friends, and all of Wonderland in danger!" Everything soon went quiet for a few moments.

The Queen took a breath and said, "Guards, take that traitor away; get her out of my sight. Starlight, I _never_ want to see you again."

Two guards soon came up and dragged Starlight Glimmer away, who was screaming and cursing at her sister. The moment she was gone, everypony cheered and celebrated the coronation of their new queen. The Hatter was happier than anyone else; so much so that he joyfully cried:

"Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He then began to move parts of his body in a very odd way, almost like an uncoordinated dance. It looked so silly and goofy that it made Alice laugh.

"What's he doing?" She asked Cheshire Pie who was floating next to her.

"The _Klutzerwacken_!" Cheshire Pie cheered.

"The _what_?"

"It's a dance. He used to do the _best_ Klutzerwacken in _all_ of wit's end!"

"You got _that_ right. He's good."

When the Hatter's dance was over, everypony applauded and cheered for him, especially Alice. He gave a quick bow and he gave the filly a big hug.

"Hatter, your Klutzer… klutz… what-ser-something was awesome!" Alice exclaimed.

"You mean Klutzerwacken?" He asked.

"Yeah! Amazing!" She laughed.

"Thank you!" A thought soon popped into the Hatter's head. "Alice… do you like it in Wonderland?"

"Why?"

"If you do… you could stay."

Alice looked up at her new friend and smiled at him.

"What an idea. A crazy, mad, fantastic idea." But her smile slowly faded. "But… I can't. I love it here, but I can't stay."

The Hatter's smile faded as well.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because, _Equestria_ is where I belong. There still a bunch of questions I have to answer and things I have to do." The filly explained. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

"I understand, Sweetie Alice."

"I want to go home."

Suddenly, the Vorpal Gems glowed as they made their way off of Alice's body and back into the open chest. But not before the six gemstones each left a small piece behind and each piece fell onto the grass at Alice's hooves. Alice looked at them curiously before the six pieces floated into her open hoof. The White Queen approached the two.

"It appears that the Vorpal Gems have given you a bit of Wonderland magic for you to take to Equestria." The White Queen said. "Now you have our everlasting gratitude, for your efforts on our behalf."

"Will these take me home?" Alice asked, looking at the shards and back up at the Queen.

"If that's what you want." The White Queen said before giving Alice a hug.

"Goodbye, dear Sweetie Alice. We'll _never_ forget you." The Hatter said, joining in on the hug.

"I'll never forget _you_ guys, either. This is probably the most fun and excitement I've ever had in my entire life, but it's over now." Alice said, embracing her friends one more time. "So… I guess this really _is_ goodbye."

And with that being said, the six pieces of gem began to glow in Alice's hoof and they floated above her head as they began to bathe her in a bright green light; all of Alice's friends waved goodbye as a wind began to blow around the filly, almost like a tornado. She closed her eyes and she breathed in softly.

"Alice? Alice. Alice, wake up!" Sweetie Alice's sister said, shaking her little sibling awake.

"Huh? Huh? What? What?" Alice cried as her eyes suddenly shot open and she sat up. "Twi-Rabbit! Cheshire Pie! Hatter?"

"Alice, darling. You've been talking in your sleep. Whatever is the matter?" Her sister said.

"I… I was asleep this whole time? Wha'… _none_ of it was real?!"

"What wasn't real? What are you talking about?"

"I-I… Oh , where do I even begin?"

"Well, now that you're awake, tell me what you were dreaming about."

"I don't really know how to describe it. It was pretty scary, but it was also kinda fun. But over all, it was just really weird."

"Ooh, a lucid dream. Do tell."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a _lucid_ dream. First, I chased a purple rabbit into the Everfree, then I fell down this rabbit hole, then I was growing and shrinking, I swam through a river of my own tears, I talked to giant flowers, I met a smiling laughing pink cat, a crazy yet really sweet Hatter, a queen who obsessed with taking off heads, and—"

"Wait. Where did you get that necklace? Those gemstones are gorgeous."

"Necklace?"

Alice looked to what her sister was looking at and she saw a sparkling silver chain around her neck and hanging on it were the pieces of the six Vorpal Gems. She gasped and her eyes widened.

"Vorpal Shards. It _was_ real." She whispered, smiling excitedly.

"Vorpal _what_? What's real?" Her sister asked.

Alice looked at her sister and smiled. "Sis? Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"A _raven_? A _writing desk_?" The mare asked, raising an eyebrow. "I haven't the vaguest idea. Wherever did you come up with that, little sister?"

Alice looked into the Everfree Forest and saw her Wonderland friends looking at her through the trees and smiling.

"Oh, a friend told it to me… in a dream." The Hatter winked at Alice who winked back.

"Well, when we get home, you must tell me, mother, and father about your dream over tea. I'm sure they'd love to hear about it." Her sister said as she stood with Opalescence on her back.

"Tea? Sure." Alice said as she stood up.

Before she left, she looked back at the forest and smiled and waved at her friends one more time; they smiled and waved back. And soon, Sweetie Alice galloped off to join her family for tea.

Even though she missed it with all of her heart, Sweetie Alice had never forgotten about Wonderland. She told her friends and family about her adventure, all of the friends she had made, and of course her battle with the Tantawocky. And the creatures of Wonderland, who missed her ever so much, had never forgotten about Alice; she was remembered as a national hero and a true friend to all.

Before this, Alice was always told time and time again to never believe in impossible things. But after her adventure, she learned that sometimes it's good to believe in the impossible as long as she had true friends by her side who believed with her and who were willing to help her discover them. And from that time on, as long as Sweetie Alice kept on believing in Wonderland and her friends there, they all lived happily ever after.


	11. The Princess and the Pie

Once upon a time in a small kingdom, there lived a queen and her only son, the prince. For many moons, Queen Applejack had desperately tried countless times to find her son a proper princess to wed, for she was rather picky about whom the Prince should marry. She thought only a pony who could truly make her son happy would be perfect for him, but alas, it was all in vain. None of the mares she met or ran into were true princesses. One would be too mean or too sweet, too rich or too poor, too boring or too strange; not a single one of these mares the Queen encountered would catch the Prince's eye. After several months of exhaustive searching, the Queen finally threw in the towel.

"I'm sorry I can't help you find a bride, son." Queen Apple sighed.

"It's okay, mother. The important thing is that you tried, right?" The Prince replied.

"Well… I guess so."

One stormy night, there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be." The Queen said to herself as she walked towards the door.

When she opened the door, she saw a pony she didn't recognize standing on the doorstep before her. This mare has a light pink coat and a poofy magenta mane with big blue eyes; she was also drenched in mud and rain water from her head to her hooves and her clothes, coat, and mane were nothing but a dirty, tattered mess.

The Queen's son, Prince Cheese soon joined his mother and the moment he saw the strange mare, his mouth fell wide open and his eyes grew large. Through all of that water, grime, and mud, Prince Cheese thought that the mare standing in front of him was the most beautiful pony he had ever seen and he felt something pulling at his heartstrings when he gazed at her. Slowly, a smile crept onto the prince's lips. The mare shared the emotion towards him and she blushed furiously the moment she gazed into Prince Cheese's wide green eyes. But she remembered her manners and turned her head to face the Queen again.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty. Phew! For a second, I thought I was gonna be stuck out there all night." The stranger exclaimed, wiping her brow with her hoof.

"You're welcome, sugarcube. But… who are you?" The Queen asked as she led the strange pony inside and shut the castle door.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that. My name is Princess Pinkamena Diane Pie. Or Pinkie Pie, for short." The mare said, bowing her head to the two ponies.

"A princess?" Prince Cheese commented, glancing over at his mother who smirked and shrugged at him.

"Yep." Pinkie Pie replied bluntly with a nod.

"But… but you're a total _mess_. What in the name of Equestria happened to you?" The Queen asked with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Well, I was on my way home from a recent vacation, but then this awful storm came out of nowhere. My carriage broke down, I got separated from my servants, and I wandered through the rain for a pretty long time until I finally ended up here. So, can I please stay for the night?" The mare asked.

Being the hospitable mare she was, instead of making her leave, the Queen decided to let Pinkie Pie stay for the night. She ordered some of her servants to draw a bath for their new guest and give her a new set of clothes. Pinkie Pie had said she was royalty, but how could Queen Applejack and Prince Cheese know for sure that this pony was really a princess?

"There must be some way we can find out." The Queen whispered to the Prince.

"But what do you suggest we do, mother? Are we just going to let her take some royalty test to prove she is a princess without her knowing about it? Get real." Prince Cheese playfully scoffed.

Just then, the Queen came up an idea… a clever, yet rather silly idea.

"I've got it!" She exclaimed, looking at the Prince with wide excited eyes.

"Got what?" He asked.

"I've got the perfect plan to find out for sure! We just need to test her."

"Test her? Without her knowing? How are we gonna do _that_?" Prince Cheese asked before his mother leaned over and whispered her plan into his ear.

"Now what do you say we get the bed ready for our guest?" The Queen gave her son a wink.

"Of course." The Prince chuckled, winking back.

He quickly ran straight to his mother's bedroom, rummaged through the jewelry box on her dresser, picked out a tiny pearl, which was about the same size as a small pea, and gave it to his mother. Together, Queen Applejack and Prince Cheese made their guest's bed for an extra special night sleep that night. They gathered up twenty downy feather mattresses and twenty quilted blankets and they laid them atop one another.

"You see, son." The Queen began, holding the tiny jewel in her hoof. "Princesses are sensitive and they feel things that other, ordinary ponies don't even notice. That's where this little pearl comes in. We put this under all twenty of these mattresses and blankets and if Pinkie Pie feels it, she won't sleep a wink. You know where this goes, don't you?"

"Of course." Prince Cheese said, taking the gem from his mother. So, he laid the pearl underneath all of the mattresses, then he looked back at his mother.

"So in the morning, we'll officially know if Pinkie Pie is a real princess or not, right?" He asked.

"Exactly! And if she is, you'll be able to marry her at once." Queen Applejack concluded.

"What?"

"Yes. I saw you two looking at each other the same way. It's pretty clear she made you happy just by lookin' at you."

The Queen gave Prince Cheese a sly wink as he sheepishly grinned and blushed.

"Wow!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she entered the room fresh after a bath. "That bed looks amazingly comfortable. With all those mattresses, I'm sure to sleep for _hours_ , maybe even _days_. I can't wait to finally get some rest. Goodnight, Queen Applejack. Goodnight, Prince Cheese."

Pinkie Pie climbed up to the top of the bed as the Queen and Prince left the room giggling under their breath. She blew out the candle and tried to get some well-deserved rest, but after she tried closing her eyes to drift off to sleep, she suddenly felt something on her back. It felt big, hard, and especially lumpy, almost like she was lying on a bed of stones; she couldn't sleep with knowing something was indeed under her.

'What the hay is wrong with this bed?' She thought.

As she tossed, turned, and moved to different spots to try and get herself comfortable, she still felt the lump right under her back.

'This is so weird! I can't believe this! Gosh, I'm never going to get any sleep at this rate!' She tossed, turned, and moaned in discomfort all night.

The next morning, Pinkie Pie was as tired as a sleep-deprived pony could be, maybe worse. She annoyingly grumbled to herself as she tried to climb out of the bed, her back aching and hurting all the while. At breakfast, the Queen and the Prince were waiting for Pinkie Pie to see the outcome of their little test. When she arrived, Pinkie Pie shuffled down the stairs and into the dining room with unflattering bags under her bloodshot eyes and a large frown on her face.

"Good… good morning, everypony." She yawned, sitting down beside Prince Cheese.

"Good morning, Miss Pinkie Pie. And how was our little _princess_ this morning?" The Queen asked with a sly smile.

"Ugh… Not that well rested, I'm afraid." The exhausted mare answered, rubbing her tired eyes with her hoof.

"Oh. Didn't you sleep well? Didn't we give you enough mattresses? I thought it would be no trouble." The Prince commented.

"I don't really like to complain, but even though you gave me all of those mattresses last night, it still felt like I was lying on something hard, almost like a huge rock. And now I have a big and _ugly_ bruise on my back. Still hurts, too." Pinkie replied as she rubbed her sore back and yawned once again.

"So… you _didn't_ sleep?" The Queen asked.

Pinkie glared at the Queen and said, "I never shut my eyes."

" _You're_ the one! You passed the test! You _are_ a real princess!" Prince Cheese cried with joy, jumping up and down in his seat.

"Wait, huh? What test? What are you talking about?" Pinkie asked in confusion.

"Come with us, sugarcube." Queen Applejack said, grabbing Pinkie's hoof and dragging her up the stairs and back into the guest bed chamber.

"What are you doing?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"You'll see. This is _really_ going to surprise you!" The Prince said as he followed close behind.

When Queen Applejack, Princess Pinkie, and Prince Cheese went back into Pinkie's room, the Queen took the pearl out from under the twenty mattresses and showed it the young mare. Pinkie Pie took the pearl in her hoof and looked at it curiously.

"What was that doing under there?" The mare asked.

The Queen, with an excited expression on her face, said, "Only a _real_ princess would be sensitive enough to feel a gemstone as small as this under all twenty of those mattresses."

"We had to test you to see if you were really a princess. And you passed the test!" Prince Cheese added with the same amount of excitement.

"Okay, okay, okay. Wait, let me get this straight. This whole thing was only to prove I was a real princess?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes." They nodded their heads and smiled.

This confused the Earth Pony mare greatly; she looked at the gem in her hoof. How could leaving a single pearl under so many mattresses prove she was royalty? Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the Queen wrapping her hoof around the mare's shoulder.

"Now, with my blessing, you and my son can marry. He's been looking for somepony like you and now he has a proper bride… _You_." She said warmly.

"All last night, I hoped you'd pass, Pinkie. All I wanted was somepony who could make me happy and now I've found that special somepony. So… would you… be my bride?" Prince Cheese asked, taking Pinkie Pie's hoof in his own and smiling.

Pinkie Pie was at a loss of words; she had no idea what to say at this point. But then, she dropped the pearl, smiled, and looked into the bright green eyes of her new lover.

"Yes." She said before grinning and jumping up and down. "Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times, YES! Of course I'll marry you!"

"Then it's settled! Ya'll be married at once!" The Queen declared with a loud 'Yeehaw!' and a big smile on her face.

Then, the Prince leaned in and he gave Pinkie Pie a sweet, passionate kiss full on the lips. The Queen then took the tiny white stone and put it back in her jewelry box. Prince Cheese Sandwich and Princess Pinkie Pie were married that very day, their kingdoms were united, and they all lived happily ever after.


	12. The Pony Who Cried Timberwolf

Once upon a time in a village on the edge of the forest, there was a little Pegasus filly called Sheppard Scoot. One day, she was given the job of looking after a herd of sheep in the meadow and she was told that if trouble came, she would alert the villagers immediately. She agreed and was left to do her task. After a long time of watching the sheep, Sheppard Scoot grew bored.

"Ugh, this is so boring. What to do? What to do?" She groaned, tapping her hoof on the grassy ground underneath her. Soon, a thought popped into her head. "Hmmmm. How about a little… _joke_ to liven things up a bit? But what kind of joke should I tell?"

Soon, she concocted the perfect joke. Sheppard Scoot got onto her hooves, took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and yelled as loudly as she could,

"Timberwolf! Oh no! It's a Timberwolf! It'll eat the sheep!"

When the townsponies heard the tiny Pegasus's screams and cries from far away, they came running with gardening tools as weapons in tow to help her. They ran to the middle of the meadow and cautiously looked around the area.

"What's going on out here?" "Are the sheep safe?" "Is everypony alright?" "Where's the Timberwolf?" "Let me at it!" The confused villagers questioned.

But as they looked around the calm meadow, the villagers could see no Timberwolf. All that they saw was the little Pegasus filly laughing at their disgusted and confused faces and rolling in the grass. They realized what had happened and they all angrily trudged back to the village. About two hours or so later, Sheppard Scoot grew bored again and she decided to play the same trick one more time, just for another good laugh.

"Timberwolf!" She cried again. "Oh no! Help! It'll steal all of the town's sheep!"

The villagers heard the distant shouts again and they came running to help the filly again, only to find out that they've been _tricked_ again. They saw little Sheppard Scoot rolling around in the grass, her face beet red from laughing so much and pounding her hoof on the ground.

One pony, who was the mayor, stepped forward and looked at the filly who was lying at her hooves. Scoot stopped laughing and looked at everyone with worried eyes. "What? Too much? Or too soon?"

"Young filly, I'm warning you, if you cry Timberwolf one more time, we won't come!" The mayor said sternly.

"We'll think it's another one of your tricks if you do. And if _do_ you cry Timberwolf again, you'll be sorry." A grey Pegasus mare added, hovering near the mayor.

"Capiche! I promise I won't cry Timberwolf ever again!" Sheppard Scoot said nervously as she stood up and the villagers went back home.

Sometime later, Sheppard Scoot grew bored again and she thought about her Timberwolf trick. She stopped herself and she thought, 'I shouldn't cry Timberwolf again. I promised them and everything. So… so I won't do it.'

But soon after making her decision, Sheppard Scoot smelled something quite rotten in the air. It smelled like rotting apples, moldy cheese, and skunk spray. It was absolutely repulsive. And when she turned around, she saw… a real Timberwolf standing right behind her! She gasped, flapped her wings and ran away from it while screaming:

"Help! Timberwolf! An actual Timberwolf really came this time! I really mean it this time! Please! Somepony, HELP ME!"

The Pegasus cried, yelled, screamed, and shouted for help many times, but no one came to her rescue. As they heard her distant claims, the villagers just told themselves, "She's only does it for the attention. I won't be fooled again." They just shrugged it off and went back to whatever it was they were doing before.

Sheppard Scoot made up a story about the Timberwolf so many times, now no one believed him; even though there really _was_ a Timberwolf. The Timberwolf chased the filly all over the valley and it eventually caught her; but she escaped from its clutches by using her back legs to kick it in the face. She ran straight to the town and she desperately tried to get the townsponies to help him defeat the Timberwolf.

But the Timberwolf followed her back to the village and now that they saw it for themselves, _everypony_ believed the filly. The townsponies grabbed whatever they could get their hooves on and surrounded the Timberwolf, ready to fight. They used powerful kicks, punches, rocks, and fire to fight off the vicious beast. The Timberwolf was eventually overwhelmed and it shattered into nothing but splinters in defeat.

Soon after the monster was gone, Sheppard Scoot learned a very valuable lesson and she promised herself that she would never tell another lie for attention or a laugh ever again. Sheppard Scoot quickly became the town hero and official Sheppard and she and the rest of her hometown all lived happily ever after.


	13. Garblestiltskin

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there was a miller who had a beautiful daughter named Starlight Glimmer. She was one of the smartest mares as well as the loveliest in all the land and everyone was friends with her. Starlight's mother was always proud of her and she would often boast about how wonderful and magnificent she was.

One day, the King's Prime Minister, a unicorn named Blueblood, was passing by the miller's home when he overheard the miller say:

"My daughter, Starlight Glimmer, spins so fine that she could even spin straw into gold!"

When Blueblood heard this, his interest was greatly peaked. So he immediately ran back to the castle to tell the King at once. The King was intrigued by this piece of news and he ordered Starlight to be brought to the castle at once. When she arrived at the castle, Starlight knelt before the King and Minister Blueblood. When she first saw the King, she immediately felt strong feelings of affection towards him. The King shared the emotion towards her. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a good few minutes of silence until the Prime Minister snapped them out of their trances.

"Ahem! Your Majesty!" Minister Blueblood said, clapping his hooves to get their attention.

"Oh, yes! Sorry. You're Starlight Glimmer?" The King asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am Starlight Glimmer. Um, why did you ask to see me? Is something wrong?" The mare asked nervously.

"I've heard from a reliable source that you could spin straw into gold." The King replied. "I must know, how do you perform such a feat?"

"Straw into gold? I… I, uh… um…" Starlight stuttered; she didn't know what to say to that. She didn't want to get into trouble so she decided to improvise. "It's, uh… it's an old family secret, Your Majesty."

"Yes! And to prove it, this lovely filly going to spin us an entire room full of gold!" Minister Blueblood said, stepping forward.

"I am? Oh, yes! I am!" Starlight said, laughing nervously.

"Now come with me, my dear, so we can get you settled." Blueblood said as he levitated the mare off of the floor with his magic and took her away from the King.

So, that very night, Minister Blueblood took the terrified Starlight to a room filled with straw. But just before he locked the door to the room, he rudely sneered at her.

"Alright, missy, here's what we are going to do. If you spin all of this straw into gold by morning, you're free to go. Do you understand?" He asked.

"Uh… yes, I agree." Starlight said nervously.

"Very well. Oh! And by the way. If you can't do it, you and your mother… will be sentenced to death. And one more thing: you can't use magic to cheat your way out of this. Understand?"

"…Understood, Minster Blueblood."

"There's a good filly… Good luck!"

Minister Blueblood then shut the door with a deafening slam, locked it tight, and left Starlight to her task.

Starlight looked at the straw piled up in front of her and the spinning wheel sitting in the middle of the room with wide eyes. What was she going to do? Starlight knew her mother's foolish boasting had gotten her into this mess, but she also knew that she couldn't give up, so she decided to give it a try; she knew magic couldn't help her here. She tried her very best to spin the straw to gold, but after countless attempts she just couldn't do it. So she began to cry.

"Ugh, I'm _never_ going to get this! I'd give anything to spin this into gold!" She yelled before bursting into tears.

Then she heard an unfamiliar male voice say, "Would you really give anything?"

"What? Huh? Who said that?" Starlight nervously asked, looking around the room for the source of the voice.

Just then, she saw a strange hooded figure approach her from the shadows. He appeared to be standing on two legs and he spoke with a deep voice.

"Hello, miss Starlight Glimmer." He said.

Starlight was so shocked that she almost screamed; she had never seen a creature like this before and she wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this.

Taking a step back, she asked, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"You'll never know. But right now, all I _can_ say is that I'm a friend. I'm a friend who knows how to spin straw into gold." The creature said calmly.

"You _can_?! You can really spin straw into gold?! Can you really do it? Will you, please? Please? Please?" Starlight pleaded.

"Of course I can, my dear. But I'll do it for a fee, of course. Do you have anything to give me?"

"Well… I'll give you anything if you help me. But what do _I_ have of any worth? All I have is this bronze necklace. It was a gift from my grandmother and it means a lot to me."

"Deal. And if I ever have to come back, the price will be much higher. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand. And I hope I won't have to disturb you again."

So Starlight gave the stranger her necklace and he went right to work. As he spun the straw, it miraculously turned into long strands of pure, shining gold. And at the break of dawn, he disappeared just in time and the King and Minister Blueblood were greatly impressed and surprised as soon as they entered.

"You've done it!" The King exclaimed, taking Starlight's hoof and smiling excitedly.

But Minister Blueblood was as greedy as he was rude so he said, "Your Majesty, wait! It must be a _trick_! We have to see if she can do it again!"

"What?" The King and Starlight asked in unison.

"As your Prime Minister, I must protect you, my King. One more time." The unicorn insisted.

The King let out a sigh in defeat. "Alright. One more time."

Starlight was terrified; she had no idea what to do now. So, when night came again, the King took the mare to the largest room in the castle filled to the brim with even more straw than before. She stared at it in shock.

"Now, spin for me just one more night… And if you do, I'll marry you and make you my wife, my Queen." The King said. Starlight let out a silent gasp and her eyes widened.

"W-what?" She asked, making sure she heard him right.

"Your _Queen_?!" Minister Blueblood cried.

"Yes, Blueblood. I've already made up my mind." The King said through gritted teeth.

He looked back at Starlight with hopeful eyes. "So…?"

" _Me_? Your _Queen_?" Starlight stuttered, unsure of what to say at that moment. "I… I'm honored, my lord. Truly, I am. I… I suppose I could… I'll try to do what I can, I promise."

"Good. I hope you succeed… Starlight."

"See you in the morning, Miss Glimmer. And remember: NO magic." Minister Blueblood taunted.

And soon, the King and Blueblood left the mare to her task once again. Starlight was horrified of doing this task a second time, so she tried to call for the creature that helped her the other night. And as if on cue, the cloaked stranger appeared before her just like he did before.

"You called?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"Yes, I did. Can you spin all this straw into gold? Just one more time, please?" She pleaded.

"Hmm… For a fee."

"Of course. But what else can I give? I have nothing left… Tell you what; _if_ I become Queen, you can have anything. Jewels, treasure, land, anything you want. Name it and it will be yours."

The stranger's face lit up, he had an idea. He looked back at the mare with a sly look in his amber eyes.

"How about this?" He began. "When you marry the King and become Queen, you give me… your first-born foal."

Starlight was shocked at what she had just heard; how could she promise something like that to a creature she hardly knew?

"Are you out of your mind?! I can't promise something like _that_ ; I _won't_ promise that!" Starlight shouted in protest. "Isn't there anything else you want?!"

"Nope. Sorry, Miss Glimmer. Unless you give me your child, there's no deal."

"No! No! No! Stop, please! Stop! Don't go!" She begged, pulling the stranger back towards her. "Just spin the straw into gold! I'll give you anything you want! _Anything_!"

"Now _that's_ a deal! You got it!"

So the stranger went back to spinning. And in the morning, just like before, he vanished just in time and the King was happy that Starlight had proved herself and Minister Blueblood was greatly satisfied with the room filled with gold. So the King and the young mare were married that very afternoon and Starlight became Queen.

About a year later, a beautiful baby colt was born to the royal couple. And one fateful day, while the King was away on royal business and the Queen was playing with her baby, the mysterious stranger had returned, only this time, he wasn't wearing his old cloak. Starlight was repulsed to see that the stranger who helped her was a large dragon with a big snout and dark red and pale yellow scales. She nearly screamed at the sight of him.

"I'm back. Time to pay up!" He said, smiling a big grin.

"What?! No! Get out, stay away! You can't take my baby!" Queen Starlight begged as she held her foal close.

"Don't you remember _anything_ , Starlight? We have a bargain!"

"No, please! Take my kingdom! Take my treasure! Take everything just leave my baby alone!"

"A deal's a deal. And nopony breaks deals with me, dearie."

"No, please! Leave me alone!"

The Queen began to weep bitterly, but the dragon stopped her by putting his claw on her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey; quit it. I hate seeing ponies like you cry." He began. "Tell you what… why don't we strike another deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll let you keep your child if you can guess my name. And if you can't guess it within three days time, then your child belongs to me. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes! YES! Deal!" She said, shaking his claw violently with her hoof.

During the first day, Queen Starlight guessed every single name she could think of, but none of them were right.

"Hay Stack? Loose Knot? Needle Head? Mud Puddle?" She listed.

"No. No. No. No. No." He answered. "You can try tomorrow night."

And the second day went as it went the day before and as it ended.

"Short Ribs? Sheepshank? Snake Tail? Sludge!" She said.

"No. No. No. And _no_." He replied. "I'll be back tomorrow, you can try again. But remember, dearie, tomorrow is the last day. And if you fail, well… you know what happens then."

The Dragon vanished again and Queen Starlight was getting very worried, but then she had an idea. She called for her most trusted and most loyal guard.

"You called, my Queen?" The guard asked as she approached the Queen.

"Yes. I need you to do a very important mission for me." She said.

"Anything, Your Majesty. Name it and it will be done."

The Queen sent the guard out into the village to see what she could learn. And when she returned the next morning, she came back with very important information.

The guard said, "Your Majesty, while I was walking through the forest sometime last night, I saw a strange looking creature, almost like a giant winged lizard of some sort who was singing and dancing by a fire. I didn't get a good look at his face, but I heard the song he was singing. It went something like; "The Queen is going to lose the game! For _Garblestiltskin_ is my name!" Is that what you needed, Your Majesty?"

"Garblestiltskin? That's it. That _must_ be it!" The Queen exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you so, so, so much for all of your help! After this, you'll receive your reward!"

"It was my pleasure, Your Majesty."

The minute the guard left the Queen alone, the dragon had come back. But this time, the Queen was ready for him.

"It's me and it's the final day, Queenie. Can you guess my name _this_ time?" He asked her in a smug tone.

"I believe I can." The Queen said with a sly look in her eyes. "Is your name Landslide? Or Pin Cushion?"

"No. You give up?"

"No. How's _this_ for my last guess?" The Queen soon stood up and she started to sing. "You think I'm going to lose the game but I know _Garblestiltskin_ is your name! Right?"

The dragon was frozen in shock. She did it. She actually did it! The Queen had guessed correctly and he lost at his own game. He couldn't believe it; he was enraged. By now, his eyes were burning like fire as he glared at her.

"WHAT?!" He screamed. "No! No! No! You cheated! Someone told you! I want your baby! Give it to me! NOW!"

"No." She protested. "We made a deal, a deal's a deal, and no one breaks deals with you. You said so. Now why don't you do Equestria a favor and just go away and leave me, my husband, my baby, _and_ my kingdom alone!"

"You know what?! Maybe I _will_!"

And as if by a powerful force, Garblestiltskin was sent to an enchanted prison within the darkest depths of Tartarus where he belonged and he was never seen in the kingdom ever again. Queen Starlight Glimmer never again made a promise she couldn't keep and she, King Sunburst, and their baby prince all lived happily ever after.


	14. Little Pinkie Hen

Once upon a time in a little farm, there was a hen with pink feathers called Little Pinkie Hen. She lived on the farm with her best friends, Applequack the duck, Meowity the cat, and Rainbow Woof the dog. One day, she found some seeds in the farmhouse and she got an idea.

"Hey! If we plant these seeds, we could grow some wheat and then make a big, sweet, delectable cake!" She said, taking some of the seeds in her wing. "This would be so much fun! I can't wait to tell the others!"

As she made her way out of the farmhouse with the seeds in her wing, Little Pinkie Hen decided to ask her friends for some help. First, she went to see Applequack the duck who was splashing around in the nearby pond.

"Hey, Applequack!" Pinkie Hen said.

"Howdy, Pinkie Hen. Whatcha got there?" Applequack asked.

"I just found these seeds and I was hoping you could help me." Pinkie Hen said.

"With what?" Applequack asked.

"I thought we could plant these seeds I found so we could grow some wheat and make a big cake. What do you say?"

"Sorry. Not I."

Applequack then took in a deep breath and dove down back into the water to continue her swimming. After shrugging her shoulders, Little Pinkie Hen left Applequack alone and went to see if she could get Meowity the cat to help her. She found Meowity playing with a ball of royal purple yarn near the silo.

"Hi, Meowity!" Pinkie Hen greeted.

"Oh! Pinkie Hen, darling, hello. What are you doing?" Meowity asked, looking up at the pink hen before her.

"I was just wondering if you could help me plant these seeds I found." The hen answered.

"What for?" The ivory feline asked.

"I was planning on making a cake with the wheat grown from it. Wanna help?"

"Oh, terribly sorry, darling. Not I."

Meowity then ran behind the silo with her precious ball of yarn in her paws. Once again, Little Pinkie Hen shrugged her shoulders and went back on her way. She then went to find Rainbow Woof the dog to see if she would be willing to help her plant the seeds. And she found Rainbow Woof playing with a rainbow colored bouncy rubber ball near the pasture.

"Hey there, Rainbow Woof!" Pinkie Hen said warmly.

"Hey, Pinkie Hen. What are you doing?" Rainbow Woof asked.

"I was just hoping you'd help me with something?" Pinkie Hen replied.

"What do you need help with?" The canine asked.

"I was thinking of planting these seeds so we could grow wheat and make some cake. You wanna help?"

"Oh. Not I."

Rainbow Woof then threw her ball in another direction and ran after it, barking all the while. Little Pinkie Hen sighed as she rolled her eyes. Soon, she decided to take matters into her own wings. She took a shovel and planted the seeds all by herself. And soon, the seeds grew into tall shafts of wheat, ready to be made into flour. She wanted to see if her friends would help her this time. So she went to ask them.

"You guys wanna help me make the flour to make the cake? I already grew the wheat and it's all ready to go." Pinkie Hen offered.

"Not I." Applequack said.

"Not I." Meowity added.

"Not I." Rainbow Woof added.

So, Little Pinkie Hen cut down the wheat and made the flour all by herself. When it was ready for baking, she was hoping her friends would help… again.

"Who's gonna help me make the cake?" She asked.

"Not I." All three friends said in unison.

Pinkie Hen groaned and put a wing to her forehead. So she made the cake all by herself. She measured, stirred, mixed, and put it in the oven. And soon, the cake was ready. Pinkie Hen even frosted and decorated the cake by herself, but in the end, it was worth it and her cake was finally ready and it smelled so sweet and delectable that it caught Meowity, Applequack, and Rainbow Woof's attention. They looked up and they saw that the cake looked wonderfully delicious. Their mouths watered and their eyes widened as they beheld it.

"Ya like it?" Pinkie Hen asked proudly.

"Yes!" They said.

"Pretty impressive if I do say so myself, huh?" Pinkie Hen asked.

"Boy howdy!" Applequack exclaimed.

"Absolutely!" Meowity cried excitedly.

"You got that right!" Rainbow Woof shouted.

"Now that you're here, who's gonna help me eat my cake?" Pinkie Hen asked.

"I will!" All three answered excitedly.

"Wait a minute, you know what? Maybe I should eat this all by myself."

"What?! But why?" Rainbow Woof asked.

"Do we not deserve a piece?" Meowity asked.

"Yeah, come on, PH." Applequack insisted.

"Sorry, girls, but I did all the work and you three were no help at all. So, it seems only fair that I eat it myself. Sorry."

And with that, Little Pinkie Hen took the cake in her wings and made her way to the chicken coop to start eating. Rainbow Woof, Applequack, and Meowity only stared with disappointed looks on their faces as their pink friend walked off.

They all learned that if they wanted something, they should all do their part into making it happen so they get a share too. And soon enough, Little Pinkie Hen and her friends all lived happily ever after.


	15. Goldie Bloom and the Three Bears

Once upon a time in a forest near a small village, there lived a family of three bears. There was a Papa Bear, a Mama Bear, and a Baby Bear. They lived in a tiny cottage in the middle of the forest and they were very happy with this life they had. One beautiful spring day, Mama Bear had made a special treat for the rest of her family.

"Hey, boys, I have a big surprise. I made us all a nice, big delicious honey apple pie." She said, taking the hot pie out of the oven.

"Oh! I can't wait!" Papa Bear said as he and Baby Bear sat at the table in the kitchen.

"Coming, Mama!" Baby Bear called excitedly.

The Bears couldn't wait to dig in as a piece of pie was each placed in front of them, but when they took a bite, they got a surprise. The pie was much too hot to eat at the moment.

"Hey, maybe we should all go out and take a little walk in the forest while our pie cools." Papa Bear suggested, standing up from his chair.

"That's a great idea, dear. And maybe by the time we get home, the pie would be cool enough to eat." Mama Bear added.

"I'm up for it. I love going for walks." Baby Bear said, excitedly standing up.

And so, the three Bears went out of the house and they were on their walk, just as happy as can be. But since they lived out in the middle of the forest and nopony knew where they lived, they thought no one would bother to go near their house. So they always left the door and windows unlocked whenever they went out.

Just then in the very same forest at the very same time, there was a little filly named Goldie Bloom. She was walking through the forest that day when the delicious scent of honey mixed with apples filled her nose. She followed the smell right to the house. When she first saw it, she grew curious. So, Goldie Bloom walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

"Hello? Anypony home?" She called out, waiting for a response.

No one answered, but the door wasn't locked, so she opened the door and went inside to see where the smell was coming from. Inside, she found the three pieces of pie sitting on the table.

"Mmmmm! That pie over there looks great! And it smells delicious. I hope the owners won't mind if I have a little taste." Goldie Bloom said, smiling and licking her lips.

She first took a taste from Papa Bear's plate. "Agh! This pie's too hot!"

Next, she took a taste from Mama Bear's plate. "Yuck. This pie's too cold!"

Then, she took a taste from Baby Bear's plate. "Mmmm! This pie's just right."

So, without a second thought, Goldie Bloom ate up the little piece of pie until it was all gone. She looked around the house and wondered what else there was. Soon, she walked around and she found herself in a room with three chairs; one big, one medium-sized, and one small.

"Hmm. I'm sure the owners won't mind if I sat down for a while." She said to herself.

First, she sat down on Papa Bear's chair. "Ow! This chair's too hard!"

Next, she sat down on Mama Bear's chair. "Ew! This chair's too soft!"

Then, she sat down on Baby Bear's chair. "Aah. This chair's just right."

But when Goldie Bloom sat down, the little chair underneath her broke into little pieces. She stood up and nervously looked at the broken piece of furniture.

"Uh oh. Hope the owners won't be too mad… Oh well. A little glue, a few nails. It'll be easy to fix, no problem." She said to herself, casually shrugging her shoulders.

By then, Goldie Bloom let out a small yawn; she was tired from her long walk in the woods. So, she climbed up the stairs, walked into the bedroom, and found three beds; one big, one medium, and one small, just like the chairs from downstairs. So, she decided to lie down and rest.

First, she laid down on Papa Bear's bed first. "Ouch! This bed's too hard."

Next, she laid down on Mama Bear's bed. "Whoa! This bed's too soft."

Finally, she laid down on Baby Bear's bed. "This bed's just right."

The little bed was so cozy and felt so warm that Goldie Bloom snuggled under the soft covers and she fell fast asleep… and that was when the Three Bears returned home.

As they walked closer to their house, the Three Bears saw that the front door was standing open.

"Hey, that's odd. I don't remember leaving the door open." Papa Bear said, raising an eyebrow.

"Neither do I, sweetheart." Mama Bear said as she nodded her head.

"Should we look around?" Baby Bear asked, clinging onto his mother's hind legs in fear.

"Maybe we should, son." Papa Bear said, being the first of the trio to walk inside.

"Come on, Baby." Mama Bear said, grabbed her son's paw and following her husband.

As soon as the Bears came into their house, they could see that something wasn't right. As they walked into the kitchen, the first thing the Bears noticed was their pie. They looked at their plates and let out small gasps in shock.

"Somepony's been eating my pie!" Papa Bear exclaimed.

"Somepony's been eating _my_ pie!" Mama Bear cried.

"Somepony's been eating _my_ pie and it's all gone!" Baby Bear said, showing his empty plate.

"Who could've done this?" Mama Bear asked, looking at her son's plate.

"I don't know. But maybe we should look around the house some more, just in case." Papa Bear suggested, pointing his left paw at the living room.

Baby Bear and Mama Bear looked at each other, and then back at Papa. They nodded their heads before following Papa Bear into the living room which was right beside the kitchen. The moment they entered, the second thing they noticed that was out of place was their chairs.

"Somepony's been sitting in my chair!" Papa Bear shouted.

"Somepony's been sitting in _my_ chair!" Mama Bear gasped.

"Somepony's been sitting in _my_ chair and they broke it all to pieces!" Baby Bear announced, presenting the pieces of wood to Mama and Papa.

"This is starting to scare me." Mama Bear said, huddling close to Papa Bear for protection.

"Alright, everyone, stay calm. Let's try to figure this out together." Papa Bear reassuringly said.

But then, the Bears heard a faint noise upstairs; it sounded like soft breathing and bed covers rustling, as if somepony was moving around in bed. The trio of Bears decided to check the bedroom to see if the culprit was still inside the house. As they climbed up the stairs and entered the bedroom, the last thing the Bears noticed was their beds.

"Somepony's been sleeping in my bed!" Papa Bear yelled.

"Somepony's been sleeping in _my_ bed!" Mama Bear declared.

"Somepony's been sleeping in _my_ bed and here she is! Look!" Baby Bear whispered, removing the covers to reveal Goldie Bloom sound asleep.

Mama Bear and Papa Bear silently gasped as they looked at the little filly in Baby Bear's bed. They wondered who she could be and what she was doing in their house.

"It's just a little filly." Mama Bear whispered.

"Where'd she come from?" Papa Bear wondered.

"Hey, Mama, who is she?" Baby Bear asked loudly.

The question Baby Bear asked Mama Bear was in a voice that was loud enough for Goldie Bloom to wake up. The minute her eyes fluttered open, she saw the Three Bears hunched over her with angry looks on their faces; they were very upset with her reckless actions.

Goldie Bloom was so scared at the sight of the Bears that she practically jumped out of the bed, ran past the trio of Bears, down the staircase, past the three chairs, and straight out the front door as fast as her legs could carry her. She kept on running until she was all the way back home.

And from that day on, Goldie Bloom had learned to never touch things that didn't belong to her or to go inside somepony else's home without their permission. And the Three Bears had learned a valuable lesson as well; they never forgot to lock their doors. And so, Goldie Bloom and the Three Bears all lived happily ever after.


	16. Spike Pan

Once upon a time in a little neighborhood just like any other, there lived three fillies named Wendy Belle, John-a-loo, and Michael Bloom. They were the best of friends and they had imaginative adventures together.

One night, Wendy Belle asked her friends to come over to her house for a sleepover, to which they agreed. The three had lots of fun together for hours, telling silly or scary stories and playing all kinds of make believe. Before the trio went to sleep, Wendy Belle told her dear friends about the wonderful tales and adventures of a dragon called Spike Pan. She told of how Spike Pan would fight evil pirates or play with whimsical fairies all day and night all with a smile on his face. And she told them the best part of the story, Spike Pan could never grow up and that he stayed a young dragon forever.

All too soon, it was time for bed. The three fillies yawned and snuggled in their sleeping bags on the floor and before they knew it, they drifted off to sleep, thinking and dreaming of the marvelous Spike Pan and all of his many exciting escapades and adventures.

But about an hour or two after the trio had fallen asleep, a tiny bright purple light flew into the room through the slightly opened window and it fluttered around the bedroom. But it soon was followed by the window bursting wide open and a tiny dragon with no wings to fly through. The dragon was dressed in green and brown rags and he had dirty brown vines wrapped around his waist and head. He looked around the room with curious eyes.

"Sparkle Bell? Spark! Where are you?" The dragon whispered. "I knew you were just here."

"Over here!" The ball of light called from Wendy Belle's nightstand.

"There you are." The dragon whispered as he ran to the nightstand. "Hey, is this the right place?"

"Yeah. At least I think it is." The light replied.

That was when they heard Wendy Belle rustling and groaning in her sleeping bag. She yawned and sleepily opened her eyes as she sat up.

"Ugh, what's going on?" She asked, rubbing her head. "What's that noise?"

The dragon let out a silent gasp and he desperately ran into the closet as fast as he could to hide before the filly could see him with the light following close behind. Wendy Belle's eyes widened with worry when she heard movement, which wasn't her own.

"Who's there?" She asked nervously. "I know you're there, so come on out."

Wendy Belle then noticed a faint purple light coming from her closet. She slowly stood up and made her way to the closet. She opened the door and she saw the dragon hiding behind some of her clothes. She was so frightened and surprised that she let out a cry and fell back in surprise.

The dragon was just as surprised as her, so much so that he jumped up a great height from the closet to the banister of the filly's bed. Wendy Belle looked at find the dragon's tail poking out from the banister above. She giggled and smiled at him. He slowly peeked his head out to look back at the unicorn filly; the dragon saw that she wasn't going to hurt him.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." She said, offering the stranger her hoof. "Come on down."

Though he was a little skeptical at first, the dragon slowly climbed down to the floor and took the filly's hoof. They smiled at each other, no longer afraid of the other.

"Hello." Wendy Belle whispered kindly. "I'm Wendy Belle. What's your name?"

"Spike Pan." The dragon said politely.

"Wait. Did you say your name was Spike Pan?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just… I've been telling some stories about you to my best friends over there, John-a-loo and Michael Bloom."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but… how did you get here?"

"I flew, of course."

"You fly?! Without wings?! But how?!"

"With happy thoughts. Wanna know how?"

"Yeah!"

Wendy Belle's excited outburst abruptly woke up John-a-loo and Michael Bloom. They groaned, sat up, sleepily rubbed their eyes, looked, saw Wendy Belle standing with Spike Pan, and their tired eyes widened in shock.

"Uh, Wendy Belle? Who's your friend?" Michael Bloom asked, pointing a hoof at the dragon.

"What's he doing here?" John-a-loo added.

"Girls, you're probably not gonna believe this, but… this is Spike Pan." Wendy Belle introduced. The dragon gave a polite bow.

"Him?" John-a-loo asked. "That's Spike Pan?!"

"The one and only." The little dragon said proudly, standing straight.

"It can't be!" Michael Bloom cried.

"It can and it is." Spike Pan said, smiling. "I was just about to teach you three how to fly without the assistance of any wings."

"Really?!" The two fillies exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Yeah! C'mon Spike, show us!" Wendy Belle insisted.

"Okay, okay." Spike said. He jumped up onto the bed and looked at the three fillies who were now crowding around it with wonder in their widened eyes. "I'll tell you ladies how to fly like I do, but you're gonna have to believe every word I tell you. You promise?"

"Yeah, we do." The trio said.

"Okay. All you have to do is think happy, wonderful thoughts. They lift you into the air. It's easy." As the dragon spoke, he floated into the air and he was now sitting on the ceiling. Michael Bloom, Wendy Belle, and John-a-loo all stared in awe; they wanted to try it. But when they tried, they all landed flat on their faces.

"Oh, you guys are gonna need some extra help." Spike said, scratching his chin with his claw. Then he had an idea. He whistled and the ball of light flew out of the closet and up to the dragon. The trio saw the light and they all wondered what it could be.

"Whoa! What is that thing?" John-a-loo asked, her eyes transfixed on the light.

"Not what, who. Ladies, this is my friend, Sparkle Bell. Or Spark for short. She's a fairy, we've been together for a long time." Spike said. "Go on, Spark, say hello."

"Hello!" The tiny creature said as it flew in front of the fillies.

When she came into better view, Sparkle Bell looked like a tiny unicorn pony a purple coat and enormous and intricate insect-like wings and she was also wearing a little green and purple dress. She looked absolutely adorable.

"You three are trying to fly?" Spark asked. "Don't worry, I can fix that."

And with that Spark's tiny horn glowed and magic swirled the fillies. By the time she was done, the fillies were covered in a sparkling magenta colored dust.

"Okay, try it again. Close your eyes and think happy thoughts." Spike encouraged them.

John-a-loo, Michael Bloom, and Wendy Belle closed their eyes tightly and thought of anything that made them happy. Michael Bloom thought of swashbuckling and pirates, John-a-loo thought of flying through the sky and fairies, and Wendy Belle thought of fantasy and adventure. By the time they opened their eyes, they looked and they were all floating up in the air. They gasped and cheered with enthusiasm.

"We're doing it! We're flying!" The three cheered with joy as they darted around the room like a flock of birds.

"That's right! Now who wants to go with me to Neverland?" Spike asked.

"Neverland?" The fillies asked.

"Yeah, my home. Where adventure and dreams come to life. You wanna come or not?" Spike asked, showing them the open window.

"Uh… YEAH WE DO!" The trio screamed with anticipation.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"But wait! How are we gonna find it?" Wendy Belle asked.

"It's easy. Just follow the star. It's the second star to the right and straight on till morning." Spike Pan answered.

"That sounds fun." Michael Bloom commented.

"It is. Well, come on!"

And with that, Spike Pan, Sparkle Bell, Wendy Belle, John-a-loo, and Michael Bloom flew out the window and into the cool dark sky. They soared through the night, passed the stars and through the clouds. It was like a dream.

And soon, as they came to the second star, they saw that they were quickly approaching an island surrounded by royal blue water. And sitting in a small cove near the island, there was a pirate ship with black sails.

"Hey, Spike! What's that?" Michael Bloom asked, pointing a hoof at the ship.

"That? That's the Chaotic Roger." Spike replied.

"What's the Chaotic Roger?" Wendy Belle asked.

"She's the ship that belongs to Captain Claw, my sworn enemy." Spike said.

"Who's Captain Claw?" John-a-loo asked.

"He's the sleaziest pirate ever to sail the seas. That old sea snake, he's always after me to try and kill me, then skin me and use my scales as a coat or even as a pair of boots."

"Sounds horrible. And gross."

"Yeah, pretty nasty."

Meanwhile, on the ship, a pony with a pink coat and wearing a striped shirt and red beanie saw the group in the sky through a spyglass. She gasped dramatically and screamed:

"Captain! Captain, come quick! He's back!"

That was when a tall creature wearing a red coat, a big hat, and a metal claw on his left hand came out. It was Captain Claw; he was a draconequus and he went out to the deck to see what was wrong.

"What is it now, Pinkie Smee? I was busy." He said in a deep, cruel voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But look up there!" The pony said, giving the spyglass to her captain.

Claw looked through the glass and he saw what Pinkie Smee was seeing before. It was Spike Pan and his new friends.

"Pan. All hooves on deck, you filthy dogs!" He commanded. The rest of the crew ran to their captain and stopped in a straight line. "Artillery, stand by with the secret weapon. Let's see if Pan and his new companions have a sweet tooth."

Back in the sky, Spike and his friends were playing around in the sky when Wendy Belle noticed something about the ship down below.

"Hey, Spike? What's going on down there?" She asked.

"Huh?" Spike looked to what Wendy Belle was talking about and his eyes widened. "Look out! We're under attack!"

That was when a large piece of chocolate cake came flying out of nowhere, nearly hitting Spike in the face. Soon, more and more pastries and sweets starting coming towards the group in the air, trying to cover them all in sticky, icky sweetness and fall onto the boat. But Spike and Spark came prepared for a situation like this.

Spike blew magical green fire and Spark used her magic to make some of the sweet foods fly back towards the ship. Soon, a cherry pie hit Wendy Belle in the face, causing her to fall. She was soon followed by John-a-loo and Michael Bloom.

The three fillies fell from the sky until they finally landed on the Chaotic Roger, at Captain Claw's feet. They stared at him in shock and terror; they hadn't seen a creature so horrifying in their lives and they nearly screamed.

"Ah, and what do we have here?" Claw asked, examining the fillies closely. "Let me guess… Wendy Belle, John-a-loo, and Michael Bloom. New friends of Spike Pan, eh?"

"Who wants to know?" Wendy Belle asked boldly.

"Good ol' Captain Claw, of course. Who else?" The pirate asked smugly.

"What do you want with us?"

"Nothing, you're the bait."

"For what?"

"For Spike Pan, my dear."

"Why is it that you hate Spike so much?"

"It's simple. He was the one who gave me this." He showed the filly his left claw. "He cut it off and he threw it to a passing cragadile. That monster liked it so much that it's been following me ever since, licking its lips for the rest of me. And the only way I know it's coming is the ticking of a clock in its belly. Everypony, ready the nets. We're about to catch a baby dragon tonight."

The fillies were soon tied up and placed on the plank just above the dark cold water. Captain Claw, Pinkie Smee, and the rest of the crew stood on deck, staring at the little foals in distress.

"There's no one who can save you now, ladies." Claw said, pointing his sword at them. "Any last requests before you meet your fate?"

That was when Wendy Belle and her friends heard something. It sounded like a faint ticking, just like that of a clock.

"Yes. Do you hear that?" Wendy Belle asked slyly.

"Hear what?" Claw asked.

"That. It sounds like a… tick-tock." Wendy Belle began. "Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock." The other two fillies chanted along with her.

And that was when Captain Claw began to hear it as well. He cringed in fright as the dreaded sound of a clock fill his ears. He then grabbed Pinkie Smee and held her close to his body in horror, looking for protection.

"Smee. The cragadile! Hide me, Smee! Hide me!" He cried.

"Whoa! Aye, aye, captain! Okay, okay, okay!" Smee said as she and Claw lay on the floor with their eyes shut; the rest of the crew hid on different parts of the ship.

Little did they know that they would be in for a surprise, for it was Spike Pan and Sparkle Bell and they used an ordinary clock to scare the captain into a tizzy to save their new friends. Spike left the clock by Claw and he went over to the girls.

"Hey, guys." He whispered. "Don't worry. I'll get you outta this in no time."

"But Spike, if you and Claw start fightin', he'll kill you the first minute he gets." Michael Bloom whispered.

"No he won't. I came prepared for that, too. I brought backup."

He took in a deep breath and he blew magical green fire onto the girls' rope bonds, setting them free. But then, the ticking from behind them abruptly stopped. The group all turned around to see that Captain Claw was holding the now broken clock in his right hand and in his left was Sparkle Bell. Spike and the girls gasped in fear and shock.

"How nice of you to drop in, Spike." The pirate draconequus said smugly as he held up the fairy tauntingly.

"Spike!" Spark cried.

"Don't hurt her!" Spike demanded.

"Oh, Spike. Hand yourself over to me or your little fairy friend dies."

"Spike, no! Don't!"

"Okay, okay! To save Spark… alright, Claw. You win."

"There's a good dragon." Claw said as he let go of Spark's wing.

But just when he was about to grab Spike, the dragon whistled and an entire army of fairies came flying towards the ship. Battle broke out on the Chaotic Roger, fairies vs. pirates. Spike and Claw were fighting each other, each with a sword in their claw and in mid air.

"Hey, Claw! How about a little _fire_?" Spike said before blowing another blaze of fire.

This time, because of Spike's magical fire breath, the ship's mast had suddenly caught on fire. The flames danced all over the ship, setting anything it touched on fire. In no time, more than half of the ship was now engulfed in green flame. Claw and his crew jumped overboard to save themselves and the fairies flew off to escape. But Spike and the girls were still on board.

"Spike, we have to get out of here!" John-a-loo cried.

"Yeah, the ship is sinking!" Michael Bloom added.

"Not without Spark!" Spike shouted. "Hey, Claw! Where's Sparkle Bell?!"

"She and all of you can go down with the ship for all I care!" Claw screamed, sitting in a tiny life boat with Pinkie Smee.

"We have to save her!" Wendy Belle said.

"You girls go, I'll do it!" Spike said, going down into the wreckage.

"Spike, no!" The girls cried as they were lifted into the air away from the ship.

Spike flew all across the burning deck, desperately searching for his beloved friend. And soon, he found her under a stray piece of sail. He picked the fairy in his claws and meeting back up with his friends. They flew to the shore and Spike gently lay Spark upon the sand.

"Is she going to be okay?" Wendy Belle asked.

"I don't know. But maybe… if we wish hard enough." Spike suggested.

"Seriously? That sounds pretty cheesy." John-a-loo commented, Michael Bloom nodded her head in agreement.

"Hey! It's worth a shot. Come on, wish with me." Spike said as they all closed their eyes.

As if by magic, Sparkle Bell's light purple glow returned and her eyes slowly fluttered open. Then she abruptly sat up and looked up at the group of four above her.

"Spike? Girls?" She asked.

"Spark? Spark! Thank goodness you're okay!" Spike cried with joy as he opened his eyes. He hugged the fairy tightly and he smiled. He then turned to the girls as they opened their eyes.

"That's what happens when you believe." Spike explained. "As long as there are ponies still believing, Spark and I will always be the way we are now. Okay, girls, I think it's about time for you three to get back home. Your parents would be worried sick if you didn't come back."

"You're right. I am pretty exhausted." Wendy Belle yawned.

"Me, too." Michael Bloom added.

"Me, three." John-a-loo said.

"Okay, everypony. Let's go." Spark said as everyone floated into the sky.

Meanwhile, Captain Claw was watching his precious Chaotic Roger sink into the water still ablaze. "Row, you miserable excuse for a pirate, Smee!" He demanded.

"Aye, aye, captain!" Pinkie Smee said as she used her hooves to paddle.

"I lost my prisoners, my dignity, and my precious ship! What else can go wrong?!" That was when Claw heard ticking once again. He smirked. "I know it's you, Pan. Trick's over."

"What trick, Claw?" Spike asked as he and the girls floated above the life boat.

"Yeah, he doesn't have the clock anymore. Remember? You smashed it." Spark added.

"Wait. If that's not coming from any of you, then…"

Claw whipped his head around to see the ticking cragadile swimming towards the tiny life boat. It licked its lips at the draconequus pirate. Claw was so frightened that he screamed like a little girl, causing Pinkie Smee to flip the boat and fall into the cold water.

The cragadile ticked and ticked away as it swam closer to Captain Claw; he screamed in horror again and he swam away as fast as he could from Neverland with the ticking creature following right behind him. Back in Equestria, Spike was about to say goodbye to his new friends.

"Well, goodbye girls. But don't worry. I'll come back as long as you keep on believing. And if you want to, we can go explore the rest of Neverland in the future." He said.

"Sounds like a plan to me." John-a-loo said.

"Yeah, can't wait." Michael Bloom commented.

"I hope we get to see each other again, Spike." Wendy Belle said before giving Spike a quick kiss on the cheek.

And with that, Spike Pan and Sparkle Bell flew out the window and into the night sky with the three fillies waving goodbye to them. And as long as they believed in Spike Pan, Sparkle Bell, and the magical island of Neverland, Wendy Belle, John-a-loo, and Michael Bloom all lived happily ever after.


	17. The Pony Princess and the Frog

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there lived a princess named AJ. She was an honest, hard working pony, even though she was supposed to be royalty. One day feeling a bit hungry, Princess AJ had found a golden apple tree near her castle.

When she went to pick an apple out of the basket under the tree however, her hoof slipped and she accidentally dropped the golden apple she chose. It rolled away from the princess and it fell right into the stream near the castle.

"Oh, consarnit! My apple! Shoot, I can't reach it from here!" She exclaimed, desperately trying to grab the fruit with her hoof.

But as she tried to grab it, the golden fruit was floating farther and farther away from her grasp. Then all of a sudden, Princess AJ heard a strange little sound.

"Ribbit!"

The Princess's eyes widened in surprise and she jumped. She whipped her head around fast and she looked behind her only to see a small grayish green frog with blue eyes sitting on a large rock on the stream's edge. She let out a surprised cry and nearly fell off of the bank and into the water, but then she soon calmed down.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The frog said nervously.

"No, it's ok… Wait, did you just… _talk_?" The Princess asked, shocked.

"Yep, I sure did." The frog answered. "Tell me, is there something I can help you with?"

"I dunno. Could you… get my golden apple? I dropped it into the water and I can't reach it. Can you help? I mean if it ain't too much trouble." Princess AJ said.

The frog thought about the mare's request for a few moments, then he spoke again after a few quiet seconds.

"Okay, I'll get you back your apple if I get something in return." He said, nodding his head.

"What is it that ya want?" Princess AJ asked.

"Well, I know this might sound a bit silly, but if I get your golden apple… would you be my friend?" He asked.

"Your _friend_?" She asked, raising a confused eyebrow at the tiny creature.

"Yes. And would you invite me to dinner at the palace tonight? And after dinner, would you… oh, I dunno, maybe… let me sleep near you?" He asked.

"I don't… know…" The Princess stammered, unsure of what to do.

"C'mon! Please? Please? Pretty please? Pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

Princess AJ thought about the frog's terms; they sounded more than reasonable, if not a bit unusual to say the least. And then she finally said while nodding her head, "Alrighty, squirt. Ya got yourself a deal."

"Really? You really, truly mean it?! Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Princess AJ!" The frog cheered, jumping for joy. "I promise I won't let you down!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ya gonna get my apple for me or what?"

"Oh, yeah! Right! Sorry."

And with that, the frog jumped off of his perch and into the water. Princess AJ had waited for the frog to return and soon enough, her patience was quickly paid off. The frog had retrieved the golden apple from the other side of the stream and he gave it back to the Princess, who was truly grateful. But when it was given back to her, Princess AJ was so happy to get her fruit back that she had completely forgot her promise to the frog.

"Thanks, bye!" Princess AJ said before running off with her golden apple.

So, Princess AJ took the golden apple with a satisfied smirk on her face and she ran back to castle, leaving the frog behind. At the stroke of sunset, the frog decided to go to the castle to remind the Princess of her promise from earlier that day. He knocked on the door and patiently waited for somepony to answer. Soon enough, the Princess herself answered the door.

"Hello?" She called, looking for the one who knocked.

"Hi, AJ." The frog said, waving his flipper in the air.

"You?! What are you doin' here?" She asked, shocked.

"What am I doing here? Are you serious, Princess? Don't you remember the promise you made me this morning?" He asked.

"What promise?"

"You know? Your promise to invite me to dinner tonight if I saved your golden apple? Remember now? C'mon, a promise is a promise."

"Oh yeah, _that_ promise. Ugh, fine! C'mon in, frog. Make yourself at home. And try not to track mud in here. My parents would kill me if there was mud on the carpet."

The frog happily hopped his way into the castle with a smile on his face; the Princess however, felt otherwise. She wasn't very thrilled having a frog in her castle or as a dinner guest and she rolled her eyes and let out a silent groan as she closed the door behind her.

That evening, the frog and Princess AJ had dinner together and to her surprise, it didn't turn out like the Princess thought it would. Instead of it ending in disaster, she was actually having a good time. The frog joked and she laughed, he danced and she clapped; it was so much fun.

When it was time for bed, Princess AJ led the frog up the stairs to her bedroom. As they entered, the frog hopped off of the Princess's back and onto the bed in the middle of the room.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Uh… I… I guess." Princess AJ stammered.

That night, after everypony was sound asleep, the frog slept beside Princess AJ, her back facing him. But he didn't care, he was happy anyway. But sometime late into the night, Princess AJ woke up to the sound of a hissing near her ear.

She sleepily opened her eyes, looked, and she saw that there was an enormous Star Spider standing right in front of her face. She was now wide awake and she sat up in terror as the arachnid inched its way closer to her.

"Agh! Star Spider! Get away from me, ya glowin'-in-the-dark varmint!" She quietly screamed.

"Don't worry, Princess! I'll get rid of it!" The frog cried, standing up.

There was a fierce battle, but in the end, the frog won. He threw the Spider out the open window, shut the window, and locked it. Princess AJ applauded and cheered the frog's performance.

"Oh, thanks so much, frog." She whispered.

"No problem, Princess. I couldn't let you get hurt." The frog said, hopping back to the bed beside the young mare.

"There must be a way to thank you. How about… a kiss?"

The frog's eyes lit up. "A kiss, you say?"

"Yeah."

And to prove her point, Princess AJ took the frog in her embrace and she gave him a big kiss full on the lips. And very much to her surprise, the frog had transformed into a handsome stallion with a light bluish gray coat, blue gray hair, and blue eyes. Princess AJ gasped and her eyes widened as she stood up.

"Oh thank you! Thank you, Princess AJ! Thank you so much!" The stallion cried.

"You're… welcome, but… wha'? Who… who are you?" The Princess asked.

"My name is Prince Shill." The stallion answered. "And thank you so much for releasing me from my horrible curse!"

"Your… _curse_?" She asked the Prince.

"Yeah. A curse."

"What in tarnation are you talkin' about?"

"An evil witch cast a spell on me a few years ago, all because I was always lying and being deceitful to other ponies less fortunate than me. And she said I can only turn back into a prince if I was kissed by a true princess and you proved to be just that. So, what do you say, Princess AJ? Will you be my bride?"

"Yes! Of course I will!"

And the two shared another passionate kiss and the very next day, Princess AJ and Prince Shill were married. Princess AJ had learned that a promise is a promise and to always keep any promise she made and she and Prince Shill all lived happily ever after.


	18. The Empress's New Dress

Once upon a time in a magnificent kingdom far away, there ruled a good and beautiful Empress named Rarity. Although Empress Rarity was a very kind and generous pony at heart, she was known to be quite vain as well as a bit full of herself and she often spent time on her appearance rather than on other things. The thing she thought was most important in her life was her collection of clothes. There were dresses, coats, shirts, vests, shoes, skirts, capes, scarves, hats, and anything else anypony could wear, including jewels. The staff was growing very tired of the Empress's relentless vanity and soon one servant decided to teach her a lesson.

One day, the servant disguised herself as a dashing traveling salespony and she asked to see the Empress in her chambers.

"How is it I can help you?" She asked.

"Your grace, I have something that will surely make it worth your while." The pony said.

"Forgive me, but who are you?" The Empress asked.

"Oh, of course, Your Excellency." The pony said again. "I am Miss Trixie, the finest salespony in the business."

"I see. Now what is it that you have to offer me?" The mare asked.

"We have… a new gown for you!" The mare announced, their horns glowing a deep green.

The unicorn pretended that she was holding up a beautiful dress with her magic. It was meant to be so special and amazing that only very special ponies could see it. The Empress decided to take a look at the dress she was given, then she thought she could see it. Her horn glowed and she took the "dress" in her magical embrace. She examined it very closely, trying her best to see what the stranger was talking about. And soon, she thought she could see an extravagant and gorgeous gown, fit for any mare of royalty.

"Alright, I believe you, madam." The Empress said, nodding her head and smirking.

"We knew you'd like it. Why don't you try it on and model it for me?" Trixie suggested

The Empress agreed and went into her dressing room to try on the dress, the brothers laughing under their breath. And soon, Empress Rarity came out, thinking she was wearing the dress. But no, she was completely naked. No clothes whatsoever. Only she didn't know it until it would be much too late.

"It fits you perfectly, your majesty! And it looks magnificent on you!" Trixie exclaimed. "Simply gorgeous!"

"Yes, I suppose it does look rather fabulous." The Empress said. "Though it does feel a little drafty back here."

"It's supposed to feel like that, your grace. It is magic after all. Now there's just one more thing missing." Trixie said, looking around the room.

Then she spotted something on the Empress's vanity. Her horn glowed and the Empress's tiara was magically levitated onto her head.

"There we go! Fit for an Empress!" The mare exclaimed.

Empress Rarity loved her special new dress so much, that she decided to go out and show it off to all of her loyal subjects. But what she didn't know was that she would be in for the surprise of her life. As she galloped through the castle halls, the entire staff was laughing at her ignorance and they congratulated the sly mare.

When Empress Rarity made her way into the village with the unicorn by her side, the villagers all stared at her with wide eyes and their mouths wide open.

"All hail Empress Rarity in her new gown!" Trixie announced while winking to the townsponies, indicating them to just play along.

As the two walked down the road, more ponies applauded. Now everypony was playing along with the trick of the stallions. But when the Empress passed by a group of school ponies, there was a young dragon amongst them and he wasn't aware of the trick.

"Hey! Empress Rarity isn't wearing anything!" He cried.

That made Empress Rarity stop walking. Her expression immediately changed from happy to angry as she turned around.

"Who said that?" She growled.

" _I_ did." The dragon said, raising his claw in the air.

"You _cannot_ see my new dress?" The Empress asked.

"No." He replied.

"But why not, dare I ask?"

"Because, well… because you're not wearing any new dress at all."

"I'm not?"

"Are you blind? Just look at yourself! You're naked!"

Empress Rarity looked down at herself and she saw that the little dragon was right. Her eyes watered, her lower lip quivered, her face turned as red as a tomato, and she ran as fast as she could back to her castle in tears, leaving the unicorn with her tiara. Back in the Empress's chamber, Trixie found her hiding in her closet, crying her eyes out.

"There you are, Your Grace." Trixie said.

"What do you want? To gloat? To take any embarrassing photographs? To laugh at my foolishness?" The Empress asked through her tears.

"Actually, no. We just came to tell you something very important." Trixie said.

"What is it?" The Empress asked, poking her head out.

"Do you think… you can stop fussing about your attire and you appearance every waking moment from now on?"

"My appearance? My attire? That's what all of this was about?"

"Yes." Trixie nodded her head.

"Well… I guess so. Yes. Yes, I suppose I can." Empress Rarity said, coming out of her closet. Now she was wearing a silken robe to cover herself up. "I'm sorry about all of this. I guess I must've lost my head."

"So, are you going to stop all the fussing? Before I go to more drastic measures?" Trixie asked.

"Alright. I promise I won't go crazy about clothes every again. And by the way, I knew the rest of the staff wanted to take part of this, just like you." Empress Rarity said.

"How could you tell, Your Grace?" Trixie asked.

"I've seen you cleaning the kitchen many times and I'd recognize your face anywhere."

And so, Empress Rarity donated most of her unnecessary clothes to the townsponies, she was never so picky or fussy again, Trixie was promoted to the official salespony, and they all lived happily ever after.


	19. Puss-a-loo in Boots

Once upon a time in a kingdom not so far away from home, there lived a poor miller who had three sons. One day, the miller had passed away due to old age, leaving his most prized possessions to his three sons. The eldest son was given the mill, the second son was given the mule, and the youngest of the three, a young stallion who was called Shining Armor, was given his father's cat. She was a little orange kitten called Puss-a-loo and she was very clever as well mischievous.

After his father's burial, Shining Armor decided to leave the farm and go out into the world to start a new life on his own. He took the kitten, Puss-a-loo, with him and to be honest, he was far less than pleased with his new pet; he thought that the cat would never help in get anywhere in life, but little did he know that he would be proved wrong.

As they made their way down the path, Puss-a-loo tried to comfort her new owner by rubbing her face against his leg.

"Please don't look so disappointed, master." Puss-a-loo said, touching the stallion's shoulder with her paw. "I'll be sure to get you everything you'll _ever_ want, you'll see."

" _You_? How can _you_ get me everything I want?" Shining Armor asked. "You're just a cat."

"Master, trust me, please. True I am a cat, but I have a plan and it's a really good one too. Now, I'll need a few things."

"Like what?"

"Like… a burlap sack, a scarf, and a pair of boots."

"Why? What do you need with those things for?"

"It's part of my plan. You seriously want to question it, master? Do you want me to explain it to you? Before you know it, I'll start rambling and you don't want that, do you?"

Letting out an annoyed sigh in response, Shining Armor reluctantly gave the cat his scarf and his old boots as well as a sack and before he knew it, the kitten had already run off into the forest. She laid the sack in the middle of the path with some carrots inside; she was using them as bait. Puss-a-loo then hid in the bushes as she waited for any little creature to come around and take the bait. It took a few minutes, but finally her patience was rewarded.

Two rabbits unknowingly hopped into the opening of the sack to take a little nibble of the carrots. And she pounced onto the sack, causing it to close and capture the rabbits. With the sack of rabbits in tow, Puss-a-loo made her way to the castle to present her catch to the Queen, all according to plan. The Queen was reading a book to herself when the little kitten came to call.

"Your Majesty, a cat is approaching and she wishes to speak with you." A clumsy messenger said as she barged into the throne room to tell her mistress the news.

"A cat? Speak to me?" The Queen asked, confused.

"Yes, and this cat wears boots, Your Grace." The messenger said.

"Boots? Oh my. Then surely this must be a creature of substance. Bring this cat before me." The Queen ordered.

And soon, Puss-a-loo appeared before the Queen with her sack. She bowed low before saying, "I am very humble to be in your presence, my Queen."

"What is the meaning of this, young feline? Why have you requested an audience with me?" The mare asked.

"Your Majesty, I've come on behalf of my master, the Marquis of Cantorbas. He has told me to present you with a gift." Puss-a-loo said as she gave the sack to the Queen.

The Queen opened the sack to see the two rabbits squirming around inside. She let out a cry of surprise and looked back at the orange kitten with wide eyes.

"Do you like it?" Puss-a-loo asked.

"Oh, yes, I do. Thank you very much. Tell this Marquis of Cantorbas that I accept his gift and also tell him that I say thank you." The Queen said.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Puss-a-loo said before she made her leave.

Over the course of the next few days, Puss-a-loo had gone out into the wild, capturing animals of all kinds and presenting them to the Queen as gifts from the Marquis of Cantorbas. One day, there was a baby phoenix; another day, a Zap Apple tree sapling; and another day, a beautiful gemstone in the shape of a heart.

And finally, it was time for Puss-a-loo to play out the next part of her plan. She asked the Queen and her daughter, the princess to come to the castle of the Marquis of Cantorbas for a holiday weekend. A few hours before the two royals could make it however, Puss-a-loo asked Shining Armor to take a bath in the river under the bridge the royal carriage would be going on.

"Why are we doing this again?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's part of my plan, master. The Queen and the Princess will be here any minute, so be ready." Puss-a-loo said, seeing the carriage in sight.

"The Queen and the Princess?! Puss-a-loo, what did you do?!" Shining Armor demanded.

Instead of answering her master's question, Puss-a-loo ran away from the riverbank while crying out, "Help! Help me! Somepony, help!"

That made the royal carriage stop in the middle of the path and the Queen looked out the window to see Puss-a-loo running towards her while screaming and shouting in a distressed manner.

"Puss-a-loo? Are you alright? Whatever is the matter?" She asked.

"Your Majesty, fair Princess. I have horrible news. My master, the Marquis of Cantorbas, was taking a swim in the river when he was robbed by a gang of thugs." Puss-a-loo cried.

"Oh dear! We must help him! Come dear." The Queen said as she climbed out.

"Yes, mother." The Princess said, following her mother outside.

The orange kitten led the two ponies to the riverbank and she showed them Shining Armor, or the Marquis of Cantorbas as Puss-a-loo called him.

"Ladies, my master, the Marquis of Cantorbas." She said.

"How do you do?" The Queen asked politely.

"Hello, Your Imperial Majesty. It's such an honor, i-i-i-it truly is." Shining Armor said.

"It's… a pleasure to meet you, Marquis. I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time. My name is Cadance, by the way." The Princess said.

"It's wonderful to meet you as well, Princess." The stallion said.

"Your Majesty, my master's clothes and carriage have been stolen." Puss-a-loo lied.

"Don't fret, Puss-a-loo. I shall have the tailors set arrangements at once. And your master shall ride with me and the Princess. It will be a pleasure to continue the journey together." The Queen said. "Won't you care to join us?"

"Oh. I'm afraid not, Your Grace. I must prepare the Castle Cantorbas for your arrival." Puss-a-loo said.

"Very well. Go on ahead. I suppose we'll meet you there soon."

Puss-a-loo then continued running down the path, while passing by many farmers. She told every one of them that when the Queen passes by and she asks who the land belongs to, they were to answer, 'It belongs to the Marquis of Cantorbas.' When the Queen came by in the carriage, she was told that the land belonged to Shining Armor. She was greatly impressed as well as her daughter, Cadance. Shining Armor couldn't help but wonder what that little cat could be up to.

Meanwhile, Puss-a-loo had finally made it to the most difficult part of her plan; confronting and defeating a horrible Ogre. This ogre was the richest and most evil creature in the land and Puss-a-loo knew she had to get his castle. As the little kitten approached the castle, she couldn't help be feel even the tiniest bit nervous. What should she say? What should she do? When she came to the main door, it suddenly flew open and Puss-a-loo slowly walked inside.

As she walked through the foyer, she heard a deep, booming voice say, "Who goes there?"

Her voice wavering, the terrified cat called, "It is Puss-a-loo, a servant to the Marquis of Cantorbas. I'm looking for the owner of this manor."

And just when Puss-a-loo thought it couldn't get any scarier, she was suddenly blinded by an immediate flash of bright white light. And when her vision was in focus, she looked up to see the owner of the manor. It was a draconequus wearing black rags and he looked down at the kitten at his feet. She had a look of terror in her eyes.

"You're just a cat." He said.

"I'm… looking for an ogre." Puss-a-loo said, trying her best not to scream in fright.

"You're looking at him. What do you want?"

"I've… heard rumors about you."

"What rumors?"

"Well… rumors of you and your great _magical powers_ , of course. What kinds of powers do you have anyway?"

"What kinds of powers do I have? Ha! I have so many you can't even count them all! I can turn myself as well as other things invisible, I can shape shift, and I can even alter reality itself!"

"Well, that's sounds fine and dandy. But I'm actually more interested in your shape shifting ability. I heard that you can turn into very large creatures, like a lion perhaps?"

"You mean like this?"

In a flash, the Ogre transformed into a large, ferocious lion. Puss-a-loo screamed, jumped up, and clung onto one of the tapestry with her little claws. But before any harm could be done, the Ogre had turned back into himself.

"Wow. That was… really impressive." Puss-a-loo said.

"Why, thank you." The Ogre said, bowing.

"Hey, can you turn into anything else?" She asked.

"You want more, eh? If you liked that, try _this_ on for size." He said.

That was when the Ogre transformed into a colossal elephant. Puss-a-loo let out another frightened cry as she hid under the carpet of the foyer. She peeked her head out to see that the Ogre was once again back to his original form.

"Did you like _that_ , my dear?" He asked.

"Uh… yeah. I did." Puss-a-loo said as she crawled out from under the rug. Then, she came up with an idea. "Is that _really_ the best you've got?"

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" The Ogre asked angrily.

"Nothing, nothing at all; but I just thought of something. You can turn into _big_ things, sure. Anyone with powers like yours can do stuff like that. But have you ever tried turning into something REALLY hard? Like a _small_ animal; a little mouse for example? But don't worry about it; it's okay. I totally get it if you're too _scared_ to do it."

"Scared? ME?! That's it, cat! You want to see a mouse; I'll show you a mouse!"

And in a bright flash just like before, the Ogre suddenly disappeared and in his place was a tiny gray mouse. Puss-a-loo stared for a moment, then she smiled slyly.

"Looks like you proved me wrong, Ogre." She said smugly.

That was when Puss-a-loo crept towards the gray rodent, pounced onto him, and she gobbled him up. Soon enough, the Queen, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor arrived at the castle where they were greeted by Puss-a-loo.

"Welcome, everypony, to the marvelous castle of the Marquis of Cantorbas." She announced before giving a bow.

And soon enough, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were married, Puss-a-loo stayed in the castle as a hero and a personal guard, the Ogre was never seen in the kingdom again, and they all lived happily ever after.


	20. Tortoise Sparkle and Rainbow Hare

Once upon a time in a tiny quaint forest, there lived a tortoise and a hare who were very good friends. The tortoise was called Tortoise Sparkle and she usually spent her time reading. The hare was called Rainbow Hare and she spent her time racing.

One day, Tortoise Sparkle was sitting under a big shady tree indulged in another book, her eyes shifting from page to page. Suddenly a gust of wind was heard and the cheering of many. With a ruffle of her feathers she stood and went out to take a look.

There stood Rainbow Hare amongst a small crowd of little and seemingly younger forest creatures. They all surrounded her praising her on her several accomplishments. Rainbow Hare absorbed the praise standing in all pride.

"Yeah, I know, kids. I'm awesome." She beamed.

"Mind keeping it down, Rainbow Hare?" Tortoise Sparkle asked.

"Sorry, but I can't disappoint the fans." She chuckled.

"Well could you not disappoint them somewhere else?" She frowned.

"Hey! I bet Tortoise Sparkle could beat Rainbow Hare in a race!" A chipmunk cried.

The two creatures looked at each other, then to the group befuddled by that chipmunk's outburst. "Now children, I don't think that that's what you should take from…" She answered.

"Come on Tortoise Sparkle, how about just _one_ race?" Rainbow Hare grinned.

"Rainbow Hare, I don't want to race! I was studying. I…" Tortoise Sparkle cried.

"I bet _you_ could so win, Tortoise Sparkle!" The chipmunk interrupted.

At this point a small duck also came out, "No way! Rainbow Hare would win!" She exclaimed.

"Okay, okay! Look, kids. Rainbow Hare and I are friends and we wouldn't stoop so low."

"C'mon, Sparky! Just _one_ race! What have you got to lose?"

In the end, Tortoise Sparkle gave in to her friend's persistent asking and begging and they met up at the edge of town to begin their race the very next day. At the start line, the two friends readied themselves to run. On the sidelines, many animal spectators watched and cheered, ready for the race to begin. And to the right was the referee with a whistle around her neck and wearing a baseball cap on her head.

"Don't worry, T; I'll go easy on you." Rainbow Hare grinned.

"I won't need you to." Tortoise Sparkle grumbled, opening her wings; Tortoise Sparkle's wingspan being an inch or so larger than Rainbow Hare's.

Rainbow Hare looked at her and grinned smugly. "You're on." She fluttered her wings open and prepared her stance.

"Is everyone ready?" The referee asked the two racers.

"Ready!" Rainbow Hare exclaimed.

"Ready." Tortoise Sparkle grumbled.

"Alright! The racer who runs as fast as they can around this entire forest and back here wins!" The referee announced. "On your marks… get set… GO!"

And with that, the referee blew her whistle and Tortoise Sparkle and Rainbow Hare were on their way down the track. Rainbow Hare was running at a great speed of course, while Tortoise Sparkle was running as slow as ever.

"Easy win." Rainbow Hare said to herself as ran at top speed.

But Tortoise Sparkle knew what do to. As the race went on, Rainbow Hare was at the lead and Tortoise Sparkle at the rear. Before Rainbow Hare could reach the finish line however, she had a thought.

'Tortoise Sparkle won't catch up to me for a long time now. Maybe I should take a nap. I still have plenty of time to win.' She thought.

So, Rainbow Hare walked to a tree and lay down in the shade. Meanwhile, Tortoise Sparkle was still going. As she was running, she didn't stop for anything or anyone on the way to the finish. And a while later, she passed by the sleeping Rainbow Hare who was completely unaware of what was happening.

But when Rainbow Hare awoke a few hours later, she looked down to see the crowd cheering as Tortoise Sparkle got close to the finish line.

"What?! Tortoise Sparkle is in the lead?! But how?! I _have_ to beat her! I just _have_ to or my reputation is ruined!" She cried as she stood up.

Rainbow Hare's eyes widened, mustering all her strength she raced to the distant finish line. She just couldn't lose; she had a reputation to uphold. Tortoise Sparkle looked up and noticed her. She smiled at Rainbow Hare and with a sudden burst pumped her wings and with godly speed crossed the line, skidding to a halt on the ground.

Rainbow Hare arrived mere seconds later, with beads of sweat on her brow and heaving.

"I won!" Tortoise Sparkle cheered.

"How… how did you… how did you do that?" Rainbow Hare gasped, desperately trying to catch her breath. "You… ran so… so slow."

"I paced myself. I went slow keeping pace and at the end while you were distracted I used all my energy to sprint to the finish line." Tortoise Sparkle answered proudly.

"I don't believe it. I bookworm turtle beat me!"

"It's okay, Rainbow Hare. Everyone loses once in a while."

The rabbit with rainbow hair nervously chuckled. She looked at her friend and answered, "Goes to show that even the fastest in the land needs to learn to go slow and steady from time to time." Tortoise Sparkle smiled back and put her foreleg around her friend's shoulder.

Tortoise Sparkle was declared the winner of the race and from there forth Rainbow Hare learned that sometimes, slow and steady does win the race. And so, they all lived happily ever after.


	21. The Wizard of Neighs

Once upon a time on a small farm, there lived a young filly named Dorothy Belle. She lived with her Auntie Rare and her best friend, a baby dragon named Spike. Although Dorothy Bell was content with this life, she was also rather bored with it and she wanted excitement.

One fateful day, there was a horrible tornado coming and everypony had to get underground before it would hit. But Dorothy Belle couldn't get down to the basement with her aunt in time, she was looking for Spike who was hiding from the storm. Just when they were about to follow Auntie Rare into the basement, it was too late. The tornado hit the little house and it flew up into the air with Dorothy Belle and Spike still inside. And after a long time of spinning and flying, the house landed with a loud crash.

"Spike, are… are you okay?" Dorothy Belle asked, climbing out from under a collapsed sofa.

"I-I think so." Spike answered as he climbed off of a broken shelf. "Is it over?"

"Yeah… I think the tornado's gone." Dorothy replied.

"Thank goodness. For a minute there, I thought we were goners for sure." Spike sighed.

"Yeah. But… where are we?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should take a look and see where we landed."

"What if it's dangerous out there?"

"If there are really nice ponies out there, maybe they'll be kind enough to help us out."

"Oh, alright."

Spike opened the door and to their surprise, he and Dorothy Belle were staring out into a gorgeous and colorful landscape. They walked out the door and into the land while marveling at the sight, their eyes wide in awe.

"Spike, I don't think we're in Ponyville anymore." Dorothy Belle said, distracted.

"Ya think?" An annoyed Spike asked.

As they looked around, they soon noticed a few small figures coming from a tiny hill. It looked like they were trying to hide, and they were doing either a really good or a lousy job. The filly and her dragon friend huddled closer together in fear, unsure of what was going on.

"Did you see that?" Dorothy Belle asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Spike said.

"Did we scare you?" A new voice asked.

"Who said that?" Dorothy asked.

"I did." The voice said again.

The two whipped their heads around to see a group of very small ponies standing in front of them; they were smaller then Dorothy Belle herself. And they were all dressed in blue clothes and they had big smiles on their faces.

"Who are you?" Spike asked nervously.

"And where are we?" Dorothy added.

"You're in Cutieland!" One of the tiny ponies said as she approached the two. "We're the Cuties, the citizens of this fair little town."

"That's right. And you two are our heroes." Another cutie added.

"What?" Dorothy and Spike asked.

"Yes because thanks to the both of you, the Wicked Witch of the East is dead and we're free at last!" The Cuties cheered.

"Indeed you are." A voice from nowhere said.

And that was when a big beautiful bubble in the shape of a crystalline heart floated down into the center of Cutieland, and when it touched the ground, it disappeared to reveal a beautiful Alicorn mare wearing a shimmering dress and holding a wand. The Cuties all smiled and bowed down to the mysterious mare when she descended.

"Hello. I'm Cadance, the Good Witch of the North. Welcome to Cutieland. And who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Dorothy Belle and this is my friend, Spike." The filly said as the dragon waved at the Alicorn standing before them.

"You two must be very powerful creatures. You see, your house has killed the Wicked Witch of the East and you are the Cuties' national heroes, young ones." The mare said.

"Oh, please." A new voice said.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the sky only to see a dark figure flying towards them at a great speed. When it landed with a crash, they could see that it was a tall and hideously disfigured pony-like creature. It looked almost feminine, but also half-insect. She wore a black and green garment and a big floppy hat was atop her head. The Cuties huddled behind Cadance in fear as the creature approached them with an evil look in its eyes.

"I thought you said the Witch was dead." Dorothy Bell whispered to Cadance.

"That was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the _East_. _This_ is the Wicked Witch of the _West_ , she's even worse than the other one ever was in thousands of moons." Cadance replied.

"Who killed my sister?" The Witch said as she walked closer to the group. "Was it _you_ , little unicorn?" She glared down at Dorothy Belle who was cowering in fear with Spike.

"What? No. No, it was an accident! I didn't to hurt anypony, honest!" Dorothy Belle said, her voice wavering in fear.

"Really? …Well, then I suppose I should thank you for unintentionally crushing my sister to death… but I _won't_ because I'm wicked!" The creature said before looking at the pair of lifeless hooves underneath the house. The hooves appeared to be wearing a pair of sparkling red shoes. "Now, I'll just take these little things and I'll be on my—"

Before the Witch could finish her sentence however, the red slippers had disappeared off of the hooves in a light blue flash.

She gasped. "What?! What just happened?! Where are my slippers?!"

"Right there… on Dorothy Belle." Cadance said, pointing her hoof at Dorothy Belle's forehooves.

Dorothy looked down and saw that she was wearing the red slippers that the deceased pony was wearing before. The Witch was enraged and she snarled at the terrified filly.

"Give me those ruby slippers, you brat! Now!" She demanded, stomping her hoof on the ground.

"Hey! Dorothy Belle doesn't have to give you anything!" Spike taunted.

"Spike, shush!" Dorothy whispered, nudging her friend with her elbow.

"He's right. You have no real power in this part of Neighs." Cadance said.

The Witch growled again. "Fine. But, mark my words, child; you can't stay in Cutieland forever. That's right! I'll get you, and your little dragon, too. Remember what I said."

Spike sneered and growled at the Witch before she disappeared in a bright green flash, leaving the dragon, the two ponies, and the Cuties in a state of horror and shock. Dorothy Belle looked up at Cadance.

"Okay, that's it. Cadance, where can Spike and I go to find a way back to Equestria?" She asked.

"Well, I'm afraid I've never heard of this Equestria you speak of. But I suppose you could try the Emerald Empire." Cadance replied.

"The Emerald Empire? What's that?" Spike asked.

"It's the capital of our country. And the home of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Neighs herself." Cadance answered.

"Wizard of Neighs? Is she good or evil?" Dorothy asked.

"Very good, but also very mysterious. But I'm sure she would be able to help you." The good Witch said.

"How do we get there?" Spike asked.

"Well, you two will just have to follow this road of yellow brick. For you see, the Emerald Empire is in the exact center of the land and the yellow road is the fastest known route to get there. Do you understand?" She asked.

"Yes." The two friends said, nodding their heads.

"Good. And remember, if you really want to go home, stay on the yellow road and beware the Witch of the West. She'll always be watching, so be careful."

And with that, Cadance activated her magic, she was back in her bubble, and her bubble was floating away, shrinking into the distance. Before giving quick glances at each other, Dorothy Belle and Spike stepped onto the road paved with yellow and they were on their way to see the Wizard of Neighs.

A few hours passed and Dorothy and Spike were still walking down the road and they eventually grew tired. They decided to sit down and rest beside a vast filed of corn stalks, only this corn was candy corn. Dorothy let out a sigh and looked at her dragon friend.

"Spike, how much further is this Emerald Empire?" She asked Spike, who simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"For some of us, it's a world away." A new voice said.

"Who said that?" Spike commanded, standing up and looking around the field.

"I did." The voice said.

Spike and Dorothy turned around and looked up to see that it was an Earth pony filly and she appeared to be strapped to a pole. She waved at them nervously as the duo made their way towards her.

"Uh… howdy." She said.

"Hi…" Dorothy said, gaping at the sight before her.

"Who are you?" The filly asked.

"I'm Dorothy Belle and this is Spike." Dorothy Belle replied.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Spike asked.

"Oh, right! My name is Apple Crow, a different type of scarecrow." The filly answered. "I hang in these candy corn fields to keep the crows away, but as ya'll can see, I'm pretty bad at my job."

"How?" They asked.

"Because… I have no brain." Apple Crow said, sadly hanging her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry… Hey! I have an idea! Since Spike and I are going to see the Wizard, maybe you could come with us. The Wizard could help you get a brain!" Dorothy Belle offered.

"Really?!" Apple Crow asked before falling off of her pole.

"Yeah! Cadance, the Witch of the North told us to follow this yellow path in order to find the Wizard. So, you wanna come?" Spike asked.

"Of course I do!" The scarecrow filly cried excitedly as she got back on her hooves. "What are ya'll waitin' for? Lead the way!"

And so, Apple Crow joined the group down the road. A while passed and Dorothy Belle, Spike, and Apple Crow were still going down the path until they came across an orchard with trees that grew rubies in the shapes of apples. As they marveled at the beautiful fruit, Dorothy Belle heard something. It sounded like muffled cries for help.

"Guys? Do you hear something?" She asked her friends.

"Hear what?" Spike asked.

"Wait! I think I hear it! It almost sounds like… a voice." Apple Crow said.

"Let's follow it." Dorothy said, walking closer to the sound.

The trio followed the muffled sound until they finally discovered the source; it was a Pegasus filly, only this one looked like she was made out of metal. Spike soon found an oil can sitting close by and he squirted some onto the pony's mouth. Soon, her jaw began to move and she started to speak to the trio.

"Oh, thank you! I can finally talk again! Can you give me more! Please give me more!" The pony said. Spike did as he was told; he kept on squirting more oil on her rusted metal joints. "Thank you so much! I thought I was going to be standing there forever."

"Glad we could help. I'm Dorothy Belle and these are my friends, Spike and Apple Crow. Who are you?" Dorothy Belle asked.

"I'm Tin Scoot." The filly said.

"How did you get like this?" Apple Crow asked.

"Well, about a year ago I was trying to make a scooter when suddenly; the Wicked Witch of the West came along and for some weird reason, she turned me into this metal… thing. When I tried to run after her, it began to rain and before I could do anything else, I rusted solid. I've been like this ever since." Tin Scoot said.

"Wow. Why would she do that to you?" Spike asked.

"I don't know. And to make matters even worse than they were, she took away my heart when she cast her spell. I'd do anything to have a heart again." Tin Scoot sighed.

Dorothy Belle had an idea. "You know, Tin Scoot, we're on our way to meet the Wizard of Neighs in the Emerald Empire and she's going to send me and Spike home and give Apple Crow a brain. If she could do all that, then maybe she could give you a heart." She offered.

"Wait, you mean it?!" The Pegasus said. The others nodded their heads meaning "yes" and she smiled. "It's official! I'm coming with you!"

"Great! Follow us!" Spike said as he ran back towards the yellow path.

Hours went by and Dorothy Belle and her friends were still going down the path and soon, they found themselves in a dark forest; it was certainly much scarier and darker than the Everfree Forest back home. The group huddled closer together as they continued to walk, then they heard a twig snap in the trees.

"What was that?" Spike asked, holding onto Tin Scoot.

"Sounded like somethin' big." Apple Crow said, her voice wavering in fear.

"Wait! I think… I think the sound came from over there!" Tin Scoot said, pointing her hoof at a dark figure that was watching them through the brush.

They gasped and back away from the tree line when they saw it. The creature then jumped out of the trees and towards the group; they screamed and so did it. When she saw that it was scared, Dorothy Belle calmed down and walked closer to the frightened animal. As she got closer, she saw that it was a griffon with big blue eyes and a very messy mane. It almost looked more like a lion than an actual griffon

"Please, don't hurt me! I didn't do anything, I promise! Please don't take me to the Witch!" It said in a terrified voice.

"The Witch? As in the Witch of the West?" Dorothy asked.

"Yes! Don't take me to her, I'm begging you!" The creature said, cowering on the yellow road in a fetal position.

"Well, look at you! You're nothing but a big coward!" Tin Scoot said bluntly.

"Scoot!" Spike said, nudging Tin Scoot with his elbow.

"No, she's right. I am a coward." The lion said shamefully.

"Oh, don't worry. It's gonna be okay." Dorothy said, putting her hoof on the lion's shoulder. "What's your name?"

"I'm the Cowardly Griffon, though everyone calls me Cowardly Gabby. And what about you guys?" She asked.

"I'm Dorothy Belle and this is Spike, Apple Crow, and Tin Scoot." Dorothy replied.

"Nice to meet you." The young creature said.

Soon, Dorothy's face lit up; she had another idea.

"Hey! You know, we're on our way to the Emerald Empire to see the Wizard of Neighs for some help. Maybe she could give you some courage." She offered.

"Courage? Wow, that sounds… scary." Cowardly Gabby said, standing up.

"That's okay, Gabby." Spike said.

"It is?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah, I mean, you're not so brave. I'm not so smart." Apple Crow said.

"And look at me. I'm so empty inside I could cry." Tin Scoot added.

"See? We _all_ have our issues and we're working through them together. So what do you say? Wanna come with us?" Spike asked.

"Uh… okay. I'll come with." Gabby said with a meek smile.

"Great! Then let's go!" Dorothy said as she and her friends continued their journey.

And soon enough, they arrived at the Emerald Empire. It was most beautiful and most glorious city anypony had ever seen. When the group made their way to the castle throne room, they were surprised to hear a booming female voice coming from nowhere.

"Who dares disturb the Great and Powerful Wizard of Neighs!?" The voice said.

"Just… just five friends who seek a small favor." Tin Scoot said.

In a bright flash, a large ball of pink light appeared atop the throne. Dorothy and her friends gasped and huddled together when they heard the voice speak again.

"What do you want?" It said.

"Spike and I want to go back home." Dorothy said.

"I want a heart." Tin Scoot said.

"I'd like a brain." Apple Crow said.

"And I'd like some courage." Cowardly Gabby said.

"Hmmm… very well. I'll grant all of your wishes, if you do something for me in return. I want you to bring me the hat of the Witch of the West." The light said.

And so, the group of friends was on their way out of the Emerald Empire and out to the land of the West where the Wicked Witch lived. Little did they know that a pair of evil, mischievous eyes watched them leave. It was the Witch of the West and she was spying on the group through her crystal ball. She cackled wickedly before saying:

"Their playing right into my hooves. Lieutenant Mantis, come here!"

An army of disfigured pony-like creature that was following another creature similar to them wearing armor approached their mistress.

"You called me, Your Grace?" The ring leader, Lieutenant Mantis said.

"Yes. I want you to bring me that obnoxious little unicorn filly and her dragon friend. I want them alive and unharmed, you hear? You can do what you want with the rest. They'll give you no trouble, I promise you that." The Witch said.

"We attack at moonrise." Mantis said before giving a salute.

When the moon was high in the night sky, the group was on their way to the Witch's castle in the far west until they saw something in the sky.

"Hey, what's that?" Tin Scoot asked as she pointed a hoof at the sky.

"Up there?" Gabby said, looking to where Tin Tiara was pointing. "Looks like a hoard of changelings to me."

When they heard what Cowardly Gabby had just said, everyone else just ran off while screaming in fear. The changelings quickly swooped down and attacked. Tin Scoot was thrown into a mucky swamp, Cowardly Gabby was tossed into a tree, Apple Crow was ripped to pieces, and Dorothy Belle and Spike were taken off to the Witch's castle. At the castle, Spike and Dorothy were trapped in a gigantic spider web that was clinging to the wall.

"I've got you know, missy." The Witch said to Dorothy. "So you might as well give me those slippers if you know what's good for you."

"What is it about these stupid slippers that you want so much?!" Dorothy demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? Those slippers you're wearing contain a very powerful magic, more powerful than any magic you could handle or even comprehend. And I need them to take over all of Neighs. So give them to me and I'll let you and your friend live."

"Forget it!" Dorothy said. "I'd never make a deal like that!"

"Fine! I'll just do it myself."

But when the Witch's hooves first touched the slippers, she was blasted with some kind of magic that caused an electrical shock to run through her. She sneered at the filly.

"I didn't do it." Dorothy said.

"I know you didn't do anything, you fool. I just remembered; those slippers will never come off as long as you're alive. So be a good little filly and—"

Before the Witch could finish her sentence, Spike got himself free from his trap and he was clinging onto her face with his claws.

"That's it! Get her, Spike!" Dorothy cheered.

"Agh, get him off of me! Ugh! Guards!" The Witch screamed.

When a swarm of well-armored changeling guards entered the room, Spike ran to the window and jumped down to the edge of the moat and back into the forest beyond. Meanwhile, Cowardly Gabby had helped her friends and they were all worried about Spike and Dorothy Belle. That was until they saw Spike himself running towards them.

"Guys! Guys!" He shouted as he got closer and closer.

"Spike!" Apple Crow cried. "You're okay! Where's Dorothy Belle?"

"Dorothy is still at the Witch's castle. She needs help, _our_ help." Spike said, nearly out of breath.

"How can we help?" Gabby asked.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. But I need you three to make it work. Follow me!"

Spike had led everypony down the path and back to the Witch's castle to save their friend. When they all arrived, they stopped in front of the castle drawbridge. They could hear the Witch threatening Dorothy Belle.

"Give me those slippers or I'll turn you into minced meat!" She screamed.

"You think I'll give in to your demands just like that?" Dorothy asked.

Spike had already set up a seesaw and everyone stood on one side and waited for Spike to give the signal.

"Hey, changelings! What are you anyway; heartless, love-sucking vampires or just a bunch of frou-frou butterflies?" He called out.

That made the drawbridge open up and it launched Spike, Apple Crow, Tin Scoot, and Cowardly Gabby into the Witch's chamber where Dorothy was. This made the Witch very angry; her face twitched and she snarled at them.

"Everypony… RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Dorothy Belle screamed when she opened the door with her magic.

Everyone ran out the door and when they made their way to the bottom of the staircase, they were surrounded by the Witch's guards. She cackled at them as she approached them.

"Aw, how convenient. Everypony's all together again. Thought you'd outsmart me, didn't you?" She said wickedly as her gnarled horn glowed a sickeningly green. "How about a little _fire_ , Apple Crow?"

And she blasted a beam of green magic at Apple Crow, which caused her tail to start on fire. Scare-Spoon screamed and thrashed around, trying to stop the fire. Dorothy Belle then grabbed a bucket of water from the floor with her magic and she used it to put out the fire. But she didn't know that the water would go so far. Most of it splashed onto the Witch and she shrieked at her.

"You little brat! Look at what you've done to me!" She screamed as the water on her body seemed to burn parts of her own coat and flesh. "I hope you're happy with this!"

And before anything else could be done, the Witch of the West was nothing but a pile of black robes and a puddle of gray goo. There was a long moment of silence before all of the guards cheered for Dorothy Belle.

"Hail to Dorothy Belle! The Witch is dead!" They chanted.

"Hey. If it's not too much trouble, can we have the Witch's hat?" Dorothy asked.

"Of course you can. And take it with you." Lieutenant Mantis said, giving the Witch's hat to the filly.

Back at the Emerald Empire, Dorothy Belle proudly presented the hat to the Wizard. She set it in front of the throne and backed away.

"We did what you told us, Your Grace. We have the Witch's hat and we melted her to get it." She said.

"Quite resourceful, child." The Wizard said.

"Thank you. Now… can you give us what you promised?" She asked hopefully.

"Not so fast! Not so fast! You're not getting your wishes that easily! Go away and come back tomorrow!" She shouted.

"Tomorrow?!" Dorothy cried.

"That's not fair! You've had plenty of time already!" Tin Scoot said.

"I said come back tomorrow!" The Wizard commanded.

As they argued, Spike noticed a green curtain to the right of the Wizard's throne. He ran towards it, looked through it, and gasped loudly.

"What is it, Spike?" Dorothy asked, turned her head to see Spike.

"Guys, look at this!" Spike said as he removed the curtain.

When the dragon removed the curtain, it revealed an ordinary unicorn mare with a blue coat, purple eyes, and hair in shades of white. The group gasped when the mare saw them and she froze in embarrassment.

"Who are you?" Dorothy Belle asked, walking closer to the mare.

"Oh! Who? Me? I… I am the Great and Powerful… Wizard of Neighs." The mare admitted.

"YOU?!" Everypony cried in shock.

"Yes." The mare said, letting out a sigh in defeat and hanging her head. "My real name is Trixie and I've been living in Neighs for years. And all of that stuff you've seen back there, it was all just special effects. I used to be a travelling Equestrian magician, performing all kinds of cheap magic tricks. So… that's why I can't make your wishes come true."

"So… you're just a big _fake_?!" Spike shouted, his eyes wide with shock and anger.

"Well, when you put it into technical terms… yes. I _am_ a fake. When I was a filly, I dropped out of magic school a week after the very first day and I've been performing cheap stage magic ever since." Trixie said, shamefully hanging her head.

"Trixie, you're a bad pony." Dorothy said.

"What? No, no, no, dear." Trixie said. "I'm not a bad pony. I'm… I'm actually a good pony. But I'm just a bad wizard, that's all. I never set out to trick anyone, honest. Ever since I arrived, everypony just assumed that I was this all-powerful wizard."

"Why would they think that about you?" Spike asked.

"Because of the fireworks and special effects I could do." The mare answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Did you tell anyone you _weren't_ a wizard?" Spike asked.

"No! You know the secret of show business; you gotta give them what they want." She replied.

"Then give us what _we_ want!" Dorothy demanded.

"Yeah!" Her friends commented.

Trixie looked at the group before her; she let out another sigh and said, "Alright, fine; you win. I'll give you _all_ what you want."

That was when she used her magic to bring out a large black bag. She opened it, rummaged through it a bit, took out a small pair of glasses, and put them on Apple Crow's nose.

"What are these?" Apple Crow asked.

"Apple Crow, you've asked for nothing more than a brain and a brain is what you'll have. I've been told that these glasses will give you proper thoughts for the rest of your days. And it shows that you were smart enough to find a way to rescue your friends from the Witch." The mare said.

"Really? Cool! Thanks, Trixie!" She said.

"You're welcome, dear. Now, Tin Scoot, you asked for a heart and this will help." Trixie said as she took out a necklace and put it on the filly's neck.

"How will _this_ help me?" Tin Scoot asked.

"The pearls in this necklace have been rumored to reflect and amplify any emotion you feel. And it represents the love you felt for your friends." She answered.

"Wow. This… this is so nice of you. Thank you." Tin Tiara said.

"Of course, happy to help. And Coward Gabby, I believe you have asked for some courage. And that is what you shall have with this." Trixie used her magic to levitate a golden medal and pin it onto the griffon's chest. "This medal shows the bravery you showed that you had the courage to stand up for your friends and protect them no matter what."

"Wow! Thanks so much, Trixie!" Cowardly Gabby said.

"Glad I could help." Now Trixie turned her attention to Spike and Dorothy Belle. "Now about you two, you want to go back to Equestria. I _do_ have a hot air balloon, but I haven't used it in an awfully long and I—"

"That won't be necessary." A familiar voice said.

Everypony looked and saw that it was the voice of Cadance the Good Witch. Her Crystal Heart Bubble floated down in front of the group and it revealed the beautiful Alicorn herself. She looked down at Dorothy Belle and Spike and warmly smiled at them.

"Cadance? What are you doing here?" Dorothy asked.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"Don't worry, you two; I'm here to tell you something very important." Cadance said.

"What?" Dorothy and Spike asked.

"I came here to tell you that the way to get home is through those ruby slippers I gave you. They have the power to take you anywhere you want." She replied.

" _Anywhere_? Why didn't you say anything about this before?!" Spike demanded.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me… Look, this is how things work here. The thing you were looking for was there all along. Do you want to go home or not?" Cadance asked, raising an eyebrow at the filly.

"Wow, it's _that_ easy? This is awesome! …But… but it's gonna be really hard to say goodbye." Dorothy Belle said, looking at her friends.

"Yeah… Looks like this is finally it." Spike added, frowning.

"You must be brave, Dorothy Belle. You too, Spike." Cowardly Gabby said, trying her best not to cry.

"Goodbyes… always break… my heart!" Tin Scoot said before bursting out sobbing.

"Oh, I love you guys; I'll never forget you." Dorothy said sadly.

"Me neither." Spike added.

"We'll never forget you guys either." Apple Crow said before all five friends brought it in for one big group hug.

"Okay. We're ready, Cadance." Dorothy said, looking back at the Alicorn. "What do I do?"

"You and Spike have to close your eyes, knock your hind heels together three times, and command the shoes to take you wherever you wish to go." Cadance said.

"Ready?" Dorothy asked Spike.

"Ready." Spike said, putting a claw around his friend's shoulder.

Dorothy and Spike closed their eyes, Dorothy clicked her heels together three times, they took a deep breath, and said,

"Take me home, Ponyville!"

Without missing a beat, the filly and the dragon vanished in a bright flash and when they opened their eyes, they were back home. Dorothy Belle was reunited with Auntie Rare and Spike with his foster mother. Dorothy also got to keep the ruby slippers as a reminder of the land of Neighs and the friends she made there and as long as they believed, they all lived happily ever after.


	22. The Little Seapony

Once upon a time in a mysterious kingdom underneath the cool blue sea, their lived a beautiful young seapony named Flutter-Pearl. She was the daughter of the King of the Sea as well as a curious soul who loved to explore the ocean she called home, but the place she longed to explore was the world and the ponies and other creatures above the water. She always wanted to know what it was like to live on land, but she was usually too afraid to go against her father's wishes… until one fateful night, all of that changed.

One night while everyone was asleep, Flutter-Pearl thought that this was the perfect opportunity to go to the surface without getting caught. She slipped out of her room undetected and swam up until she finally reached the surface world. When her head broke through the waves, she couldn't believe her eyes. She was immediately met with the most beautiful night sky she had ever seen in her life; the sky was a clear black with little tiny stars scattered across it for as far as the eye can see and a full moon was its grand centerpiece.

Flutter-Pearl was so entranced by the scene that she began to sing to herself in the most beautiful voice anypony would ever hear. Unbeknownst to her, a small ship was sailing her way and one of the ponies that were on the ship heard her singing. It was an Earth pony stallion with a red coat, orange hair, and green eyes. He gazed off the side of the ship to see if he could find the source, but he could see no sign of anypony.

Just as Flutter-Pearl was about to begin her second verse, she saw the ship and she dove back into the water in terror. The stallion on the ship was disappointed that the singing stopped, but then he saw something in the water. It was a silhouette of Flutter-Pearl. He looked at her with wide eyes before Flutter-Pearl finally took notice. When she met the pony's eyes, she couldn't turn her gaze away from him, her eyes transfixed on his calm face. The stallion felt something pulling at his heartstrings as he looked at the mare; she felt the same way towards him.

"Who is that?" Flutter-Pearl wondered aloud, her eyes wide with wonder.

But soon, their mysterious and romantic moment was abruptly interrupted by a loud rumble of thunder and an enormous crash of lightning. There was a huge thunderstorm coming and fast. Flutter-Pearl was terrified; she didn't know what to do in a storm. But then she saw that the ship was being tossed around by the roaring waves and soon enough, it was hit by an enormous rock and she saw that it was beginning to sink. She turned tail in fear and resolved to swim home when she heard a mighty crack of thunder followed by a loud splash. Flutter-Pearl looked in horror to see the same stallion from before sinking in the ocean.

"Oh no!" She cried, swimming after him.

She didn't hesitate, scooping up her Prince in her hooves and attempted to keep his head above the water. Shouldering his weight, she swam towards the nearest beach she could find. By the time she reached it, she slumped the Prince's body on the sand and tried to catch her breath.

"Hello! Hello, stranger?! Can you hear me?! Wake up! Please, wake up!" Flutter-Pearl whispered, unsure how to help him breathe. She shook him gently once, then again, pleading for him to open his eyes.

Then she had an idea; she decided to sing to him to see if he could hear her. She sang a slow calming tune to the stranger and just as the sky was beginning to clear up from the storm, the stranger coughed and sputtered the water that had been in his lungs. Flutter-Pearl kept on singing, this time in a happy tone and the stallion finally noticed.

"Wha-what? Who… who are you… so… pretty…" The pony mumbled in a voice barely over a whisper.

"Prince Mac! Where are you? Mac, answer me!" An unfamiliar voice called from somewhere unknown. Flutter-Pearl gasped and dove back under the waves, not wanting to be caught.

"Oh, Mac! Hang on, I'm coming!" A young Alicorn mare cried with a mixture of relief and panic in her tone. She ran down to the beach near the Prince and pulled him further away from the water.

"Who… who was that… that mare… she saved me…" The pony now dubbed Prince Mac said muttered.

"Hang on, Mac! You'll be alright." The mare said, pulling the Prince onto her back. With some struggle she spread her wings and flew off towards the palace.

Flutter-Pearl watched the exchange just below the water a few feet away. Her mind was buzzing with the words he had said.

"He said I was pretty, he looked so… happy. Even though he almost died he… he looked at me like… he loved me." Flutter-Pearl said with a mixture of happiness and sadness in her tone as a blush crept its way into her cheeks.

With a small frown, she swam back home and back into bed without being seen. While unknown to the young mermare, the local Sea Witch Starfish Glimmer took notice of the merpony Princess's romantic interest. Unlike regular merponies, this mysterious creature harnessed a strange magic that allowed her to do anything. She lived in a part of the sea where nopony dared enter nicknamed the Graveyard of Ships.

The witch usually kept to herself and did not converse with many sea creatures; only those who dared to enter her domain. Her magic allowed her to keep an eye on both pony and merpony worlds. Until now, her efforts to achieve her goal had been futile. However, Flutter-Pearl's newfound feeling for Prince Mac gave the witch an opportunity too perfect to resist.

"A _mer_ pony in love with an _Earth_ pony? What are the odds?" She chuckled, gazing into an enchanted globe that reflected an image of Flutter-Pearl daydreaming about the Prince while at home. "This is perfect… and I believe I just know how to help this poor little soul get what she wants."

Starfish then went to her desk, wrote something down on a piece of kelp, gave it to an eel and said, "I want you to take this to Princess Flutter-Pearl, post haste."

At the palace, Flutter-Pearl was slowly swimming through the gardens when she met the eel. She saw the parchment in his mouth and cocked an eyebrow.

"Hello there, little friend. What have you got there?" She asked, taking the parchment in her hooves and reading it to herself.

After she finished reading the message, Flutter-Pearl felt her stomach drop and her eyes widen in terror; she couldn't believe it. When she saw the eel indicating her to follow him, she realized that this was no joke. Burning with her natural curiosity, Flutter-Pearl reluctantly followed the eel until she was finally out of sight.

Then Flutter-Pearl finally made her way to the Graveyard of Ships, her eyes cautiously looking around the area for any dangers. She soon found herself in one of the enormous sunken ships when she heard an unfamiliar voice call out,

"Come in, Princess."

Flutter-Pearl looked and saw the Witch Starfish Glimmer herself sitting at an old desk in what used to be the captain's quarter's of the ship.

"Starfish Glimmer?" She asked nervously as she swam closer to the desk.

"That's right, child. It's me." Starfish said calmly. "I hear you have a bit of a problem."

"…Yes, I do. How… how did you know?" Flutter-Pearl asked.

"I have my ways, but that's not important. Tell me, what brings you to my humble abode?" The Witch asked with a friendly yet still sinister smile.

"Uh… I hear you have magical powers. And I was hoping you would be willing to help me, I mean if you don't mind." Flutter-Pearl said shyly.

"Of course I don't mind. I _love_ helping other creatures with my magic. What is it you need help with?" Starfish asked.

"Well, I saved an Earth pony last night and now I think I'm in love with him. And I really want to be with him, but I know we can't be together. That's why I came here; I was hoping you might have a spell that might turn me into a real pony." Flutter-Pearl blurted out.

"Oh, is that all? Don't worry, dear. I know just the spell." The Witch began, flipping through the pages of a nearby spell book. Soon, she stopped at the right page.

"Aha! Here it is; a spell that will turn a mermare into a real pony for three days." She explained. "Listen closely, dear, this part is _very_ important. Before the sun sets on the final day, you have to get this stallion to kiss you. Not just _any_ kiss, mind you; the kiss of true love. If he does, you'll be a real pony permanently. If not, you… oh, how do I put this? Um… you turn back into a merpony and you will work for me as my slave for all of eternity. Do we have a deal?"

The Witch offered her hoof to the frightened merpony. Flutter-Pearl was about to shake her hoof until she thought of something else.

"Wait. Do I have to pay you anything?" Flutter-Pearl reluctantly asked.

"Oh, yes! You're right, I almost forgot! My fee." Starfish exclaimed.

"I don't really have any money with me…"

"Oh! I don't want money."

"Then what _do_ you want?"

"I'm not asking for much, just little thing. You'll barely even miss it. What I want from you is… your _voice_."

Flutter-Pearl's eyes widened in fright at what she had just heard.

"My… my what?" She asked, touching her throat with her hoof.

"You heard me, fish cake; I said I want your voice in exchange for my magical services. But if you succeed in getting that pony to kiss you before the third sunset, then, and _only_ then, you can get it back."

"But… if I don't have my voice, how can I tell the Prince who I—"

"Let's not go into details here; you'll think of something… So, do we have a deal _now_?" Starfish muttered.

"Oh… well… I don't know."

"The clock is ticking, Flutter-Pearl. This offer won't last forever." The Witch said, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes.

Flutter-Pearl bit her lip and mentally weighed her choices. She heaved a sigh and nodded softly. The two creatures shook slowly hooves and Starfish soon activated her magic. Then, a magical aura surrounded Flutter-Pearl as she was lifted up off of the floor. Her horn glowed and a beam of light hit the Princess directly in the chest and traveled up to her throat.

"Wait! I don't know if I—" She started, but the magic has already pried the voice from her body before she could finish.

Starfish smiled, engulfing the magic with her own and directing a second beam of light towards the mermare's chest. In a blue flash of light Flutter-Pearl's body began to change. The magic from the Witch's horn let out a final burst of light and Flutter-Pearl re-appeared. Somehow in the transformation her mane and coat color had changed along with her body. Her once fair yellow complexion was now a grayish purple with a long and flowing purple, pink, and white mane and tail. She didn't have long to admire her new flank and hooves however, before she began to choke on the lack of oxygen.

"If I were you, I'd high-tail it up to the nearest piece of land you can find before you drown." Starfish cackled as she placed Flutter-Pearl's voice into a tiny glass jar. "And remember, I'll be watching you…"

Starfish glanced over at a glowing crystal ball and smiled wickedly after Flutter-Pearl swam out.

With all her strength, Flutter-Pearl swam up to the surface as fast as she could and she washed up on a small beach before passing out from exhaustion. When she woke up, she saw her new second pair of legs. She gasped with delight as she smiled, but then she realized she had no idea how to stand on four legs. She struggled to make her way to the beach but failed miserably.

Meanwhile, Prince Mac and the purple mare from before were wandering the beaches near his castle in search of the mysterious mare who had saved the Prince's life. The mare was unconvinced that such a pony existed, claiming that she was a figment of Mac's imagination.

"I'm tellin' ya, Duke Sparkle, I KNOW that mare is out here somewhere… there's no other way I could've survived that storm without her." Mac said.

"Wait… is that her? Over there?" The mare dubbed as Duke Sparkle asked in shock, pointing a hoof at a clumsy-looking Earth pony mare who couldn't seem to walk straight.

"Don't know, but it looks like she needs help." Prince Mac noted, walking to help the poor filly.

Flutter-Pearl didn't give up trying, keeping her sights set on the castle ahead. She didn't realize Mac was coming to her aid, and before the Prince could say a word Flutter-Pearl collided into him. The pair of them tumbled to the ground.

"You okay, miss?" The Price asked, getting back onto his hooves.

Flutter-Pearl looked up and she smiled; she had found her Prince at last. She nodded her head vigorously while still smiling; Mac smiled back at her. She tried to stand up again but she stumbled once again and fell, only to be caught by the Prince himself.

"Nice to meet ya." He said. "What's your name?"

Flutter-Pearl moved her lips to respond, forgetting that she was without a voice. The Prince looked at her both confused and slightly worried.

"What's wrong? Ya can't speak?" Mac asked before Flutter-Pearl shook her head sadly.

Even so, Flutter-Pearl's shy nature struck a chord with the Prince. He gave her a sympathetic smile before noting the calm cyan color of her eyes. This mare was so close to the one he was seeking that her felt drawn to her.

"You're new around town, hmm?" Mac asked.

Flutter-Pearl nodded.

"Do you… need any help? My friend, Duke Sparkle, and I saw ya struggling to walk. Here, take my hoof, we'll get ya back to the castle so you can get cleaned up."

Flutter-Pearl's heart leapt and she reached out her own hoof to his. However, she failed to remember how to keep her balance on three hooves and toppled over again. Prince Mac laughed as he helped her back onto her wobbly hooves.

"You certainly know how to surprise a pony. You're almost as delicate as a wisteria flower." Mac said before getting an idea. "Since I don't know your name, can I call you that? Wysteria?"

Flutter-Pearl smiled and nodded, happy just to be in her Prince's presence again. For the next two days, things went rather smoothly for Flutter-Pearl and Prince Mac. They talked, laughed, and played together, their feelings for each other seeming to grow stronger. Flutter-Pearl was becoming more and more excited; if she and Mac kissed before the third sunset, then she would get her voice back and she would be a pony forever.

The night before the third day, Flutter-Pearl was so excited that she almost forgotten about the deadline. The pair of them were snuggled on a blanket atop the sand of the beach. Prince Mac had wanted to watch the sunset with her and reminisce the fun and frivolity of the time they had spent together. Flutter-Pearl had had the time of her life with Mac and each day her love grew stronger… much to Starfish's disdain.

"You know… a couple days ago I would have done anythin' to find the mare who saved me. But… but I don't think I've ever met anypony like you, Wysteria. You're the kindest, sweetest pony I've ever known."

Flutter-Pearl smiled and blushed at his words; Mac reached out his hoof and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Ugh, this is so sweetly sickening." Starfish gagged at her crystal ball. "I can't stand this any longer. If I'm going to carry out my plan, I need to do this right."

Starfish then looked at the jar containing Flutter-Pearl's voice and sneered; she began to formulate another sinister scheme.

Finally, it was the third day. Flutter-Pearl was walking through the castle gardens when she heard a small number of servants talking amongst themselves. One of them mentioned the Prince and she couldn't help but overhear.

"Did you ponies hear about the Prince?" One maid said.

"About his new lover? Of course I've heard! Who hasn't?" Another maid cried.

'New lover?' Flutter-Pearl thought.

"I heard that the mare the Prince is planning on marrying is somepony he just met!" A third servant added.

"Who?" The first maid inquired

"Is it that Wysteria pony?" A butler asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was her." The second maid said.

Flutter-Pearl's eyes brightened at the mention of her alias; she smiled to herself and felt like jumping up and down right there when she heard Duke Sparkle's voice say,

"Hey, what are all of you doing here? Get back to work. And NO more gossiping"

"Yes, Duke Sparkle." The servants said before running off in different directions.

"Now as I was saying, I'm so happy for you, Your Highness." Duke Sparkle said.

Flutter-Pearl peaked out from behind her hiding place and saw Duke Sparkle talking to Prince Mac… who was standing with a pink unicorn with a poofy purple mane.

'Who is that?' She thought, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I must say, I was wrong, Your Highness. This mysterious pony you spoke of _does_ , in fact, exist." Duke Sparkle continued. "Congratulations, Miss Sugar Belle."

"Thank you so very much, Duke Sparkle." The pink mare said in an overly sweet voice.

"Yes, we wish to be married as soon as possible." Prince Mac said in a monotone voice.

"Yes, of course." Duke Sparkle said to the Prince. "But these things do take time, Your Highness."

"This afternoon, Sparkle." The Prince said. "Right at sunset."

"Sunset? Um, well…"

"Do as I say!"

Flutter-Pearl's eyes widened in horror at the mention of the sunset and her entire demeanor changed. She took another look at the mare dubbed as Sugar Belle and squinted her eyes. She saw there was something off about that mare, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Then she noticed Mac's eyes; something about them didn't look right. They seemed almost glazed over, like he was in a trance. Then Flutter-Pearl saw the necklace Sugar Belle was wearing; to her, it looked more like a little glass jar on a string and was it… glowing? But before the mare could do anything, Sugar Belle darkly glared at Flutter-Pearl and gave her a sinister smile.

'Oh no, Starfish Glimmer!' Flutter-Pearl screamed in her head before running away.

"That took care of her." Sugar Belle muttered to herself.

"What was that?" The Duke asked.

"Oh, nothing. You'd better do as my fiancé says, or else." Sugar Belle said in the sickeningly sweet tone from before.

"Um… as you wish." Duke Sparkle said, bowing her head.

Hours had passed and it was the time of the wedding; Sugar Belle was in her dressing room, getting herself ready for the ceremony.

"Oh, this is PERFECT!" She squealed. "That brainless stallion is under my total control. And soon enough, I'll have that pathetic little mermare and the ocean will be mine!"

She laughed wickedly as she looked into the mirror, revealing Starfish Glimmer's own reflection. Unbeknownst to Sugar Belle, a little bird was perched in the porthole of the room, watching and listening to everything.

Then, the ceremony began. Sugar Belle walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown with Prince Mac standing at the altar with Duke Sparkle presiding over the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this stallion and this mare in marriage." She declared.

As the Duke spoke, Sugar Belle kept looking at the sun as it was slowly setting.

"Do you Prince McIntosh take Sugar Belle to be your lawfully wedded wife for as long as you both shall live?" Duke Sparkle asked.

"I do." Prince Mac replied dully.

"And do you Sugar Belle take Prince McIntosh to be—"

Before Duke Sparkle could say anything else, everypony else heard a strange sound. They looked up and saw that it was a large swarm of all kinds of birds… and they were flying towards the ship; Sugar Belle screamed as the birds swarmed around her. Then suddenly a bunch of animals from land and sea made their way onto the ship and started attacking Sugar Belle as the guests tried to get away.

It was then that a figure descended from a scoop of pelicans, it was Flutter-Pearl. Sugar Belle looked from her attackers and glared at the mare.

"YOU!" She screamed as she ran over to Flutter-Pearl. "You did this?! You're smarter than I first thought, but that doesn't matter. You are NEVER going to be with this spineless fool."

"Spineless fool?" A deep voice said.

Sugar Belle and Flutter-Pearl looked and saw Prince Mac approaching the two mares.

Flutter-Pearl smiled; she quickly pulled away from Sugar Belle and went to hug the Prince.

"Wysteria? Are you okay? What… is going on?" Mac asked before noticing the chaos happening around him.

"Mac! Get away from her!" Sugar Belle shrieked. "She's almost out of time anyway!"

"Out of time?" Mac repeated.

Flutter-Pearl looked and saw that the sun was about to go all the way down. She put a hoof on her chest, then pointed to Mac. She did the same to him, trying to get him to understand what she was trying to say.

"Wysteria? What are you doing? What's wrong?" Mac asked alarmed and dumbfounded.

"How pathetic…" Sugar Belle chuckled, putting her hoof over her face.

Flutter-Pearl continued the cycle, touching her chest then the Prince, touching his chest then herself. Unfortunately, the Prince wasn't catching on. After several failed attempts, Flutter-Pearl's eyes began to fill up with tears before she vanished into thin air along with Sugar Belle, leaving a confused Prince behind.

"Wysteria! What happened?" Prince Mac asked.

"Looking for somepony?" A new voice said as Starfish Glimmer emerged from the sea. Her horn was glowing and a trapped yellow mermare hovered above the water beside her.

"Let her go!" Prince Mac demanded, attempting to run to Flutter-Pearl's aid but was instead repelled by the Witch's magic.

"Not on your life, McIntosh." Starfish said, holding the jar containing the mermare's voice in her hoof. "As of now, Flutter-Pearl here is going to fulfill _her_ end of our little bargain."

"Bargain?"

"That's right. This spineless little wretch traded her voice to _me_ so she could become a pony for _you_. I was wondering how long it would take you to _finally_ figure it out. Ready, Flutter-Pearl?"

"Flutter-Pearl? That's your real name? Then it _was_ you who saved me!" Prince Mac exclaimed happily as Flutter-Pearl nodded her head.

His excitement was short-lived, however, realizing the danger Flutter-Pearl had gotten herself into on his behalf. He turned to face the Witch with a dark glare.

"What do ya want?" He demanded.

"All _I_ want total control of both land _and_ sea. I thought that would've been pretty obvious." The Witch said.

"Like I'm gonna give into those demands." Mac said, scrunching his nose.

"So _that's_ how you wanna play it, hmm? Fine. Have it _your_ way." Starfish said before the Prince reared up and kicked his front legs at the Witch.

Starfish cried out in surprise before she landed in the water in a daze, Mac running over to Flutter-Pearl's aid.

"Don't worry, I'll get you outta there, I promise!" Mac said, putting his hoof against the bubble, Flutter-Pearl doing the same.

Unable to pop the magical bubble on his own, Mac refocused his attention on the Sea Witch who quickly recovered from Mac's first attack.

"It is _on_." She growled in anger.

The two charged at each other before Prince Mac smacked his large hoof at the yellow crystal that was encased in Starfish's magic. The crystal fell out of the jar and it landed with shattering crash on a nearby rock. He saw as a pale yellow light escape the shards of crystal and fly towards Flutter-Pearl; it flew directly at her, bursting her bubble prison. Flutter-Pearl splashed back into the sea, and when she emerged her voice had been fully restored.

"Flutter-Pearl! You're okay!" Mac cried, running into her open hooves.

"I'm fine, Mac… but I think we have a big problem." Flutter-Pearl stuttered in fear, shakily pointing her hoof at Starfish who was approaching behind them.

"You're mine!" The Witch screamed, her eyes like burning embers.

"I don't think so!" Duke Sparkle called out, running into the water and blasting Starfish with a beam of magic.

Duke Sparkle's horn glowed and she bound the Witch in her magical embrace. And with a flash of light, she teleported Starfish Glimmer to the farthest corner of the ocean where nopony would ever find her again. Flutter-Pearl and Mac hugged each other before realizing something; there was now no possible way for them to be together.

"Now what?" Mac asked, looking at the mermare before him.

"Maybe _I_ could help?" Duke Sparkle asked before her horn glowed again. "I know a thing or two about magic. And don't worry, Miss Flutter-Pearl. This won't hurt a bit, I promise."

Flutter-Pearl was confused and frightened as she was lifted out of the water and up into the air. Prince Mac was confused too, but he watched in awe as his new lover's form began to change once again. In a burst of bright light, Flutter-Pearl reappeared as a yellow Pegasus mare and she safely landed in the hooves of her Prince.

"Duke Sparkle?" Flutter-Pearl began. "Thank you so much."

"Eeyup." Price Mac added with a nod.

"No problem, you two." Duke Sparkle said before giving the couple a wink. "I may not know a lot about love but I _do_ know one thing: you kooky lovebirds truly deserve each other."

Prince Mac looked into Flutter-Pearl's eyes longingly and smiled before he asked, "Flutter-Pearl, I know it might be a bit sudden but… will you… will ya marry me, darlin'?"

"Yes! Yes, of course I will!" Flutter-Pearl cried with tears of joy in her eyes before pressing her lips against his.

And so, Flutter-Pearl was wed to Prince Mac that very day. The wedding celebration was both grand and small with the members of both families attending, both from land and sea. Flutter-Pearl had learned that if you want something enough, it's worth doing it for yourself and in time, it will come to you. And in the end, Princess Flutter-Pearl and Prince Mac all lived happily ever after.


	23. The Crystal Nutcracker

Once upon a time in a manor in the city, there lived a beautiful young mare named Sunset Marie. She lived with her parents and her two rambunctious little brothers, Snips and Snails. Every year, the family always held a big party at their home to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve, Sunset Marie's favorite time of the year. It has always been her favorite holiday because every year she got to invite her closest friends and favorite relatives to the celebration.

And that time did come again.

It was Hearth's Warming Eve and the three siblings were waiting patiently for their guests to arrive, mostly Marie. And soon enough, their patience was rewarded; ponies all came pouring in. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, and even a close friend or two, all splendidly dressed; here they came for the happiest and most wonderful time of the year.

Once everypony had settled in and got themselves comfortable, they all gathered around in the gorgeous den which was wonderfully decorated with ornaments, knickknacks, trinkets, and garlands in various shades of red, green, and silver with a grand evergreen tree decorated just as fabulously while being surrounded by beautifully wrapped and perfectly placed presents and gifts as the centerpiece.

But before anypony could get their hooves on a gift, it was time for the games to begin first. Every mare and filly received a stallion or colt for a dance partner and they all danced around the room in perfect synchronization; the bright colors of the mares' dresses bringing more color to the den while the handsome smiles of the stallions brightened the moral. That was when something out of the ordinary happened.

A strange mare wearing a black cloak and a top hat appeared and stopped beside the tree. Everypony silently gasped and huddled close together away from the cloaked pony, unaware of what was now happening. The mare removed her cloak and hat and Sunset Marie smiled enthusiastically; she immediately recognized the stranger as her beloved Godmother Twilight Sparklemeyer. Magical things always happened when she came to the house.

"Twilight! It's so wonderful to see you again!" Sunset Marie cried, embracing her godmother tightly.

"It's so good to see you too, Marie." Madam Sparklemeyer said with a beaming smile. "You're at least a head taller since the last time I saw you."

"I can't believe you came! For a minute, I thought you weren't going to come this year."

"And miss a chance to visit you and your family again? Pfft! Never! Something just came up and I had to take care of it, that's all. But I'm here now, so no harm done."

"Well, now that _everypony_ is here for the party, let us continue with the festivities!" Marie's father, Flintlock, declared.

"Quite right, darling!" Marie's mother, Autumn Sun, added. "Twilight, would you please care to show us a bit of magic?"

"I'd be delighted to. Everypony, gather around." Madam Sparklemeyer said, nodding her head and closing her eyes.

Soon, the den was illuminated with the natural magenta light of the Alicorn's beautiful magic. Without missing a beat, fireworks and sparks began flying out of the mare's horn, lighting up the room and the faces of the many excited guests. Her lilac face was serene, her eyes focused on the lights above her head, making occasional glances to the brightly wrapped packages tucked in her saddle bags.

When her performance was over, everypony cheered and applauded like mad. The mare smiled warmly and looked back at her baggage.

"Don't worry. Everything will fall into place." She whispered, smiling to herself.

"That was wonderful, Twilight!" Sunset Marie cheered as she approached her Godmother.

Madam Sparklemeyer quickly covered up her saddle bags with her cloak as her Goddaughter came closer.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, dear." She said.

"Hey, what's that?" Marie asked, cocking her head to the side to see the saddle bags under the black fabric.

"Oh, this? Just a little something special for the occasion."

She held up the bag and opened it revealing presents. Snips and Snails gasped when they saw it and ran over to Madam Sparklemeyer.

"You have presents?!" Snips exclaimed.

"Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Snails pleaded.

"Boys, stop that! Don't pester her." Marie protested, using her magic to lift her brothers off of the floor and away from her Godmother.

"It's okay, Marie. It's just about time for gifts anyway." Madam Sparklemeyer said as she used her magic to levitate six beautifully wrapped boxes. She gave one to Snips and one to Snails.

"Here you are, boys." She said politely.

"Yay!" The two colts exclaimed as they began tearing the wrapping off the presents.

"Snips! Snails!" Autumn Sun hollered, taking the packages from her sons' hooves with her magic. "You two have to wait until morning!"

"No, no! It's okay. They can open them now." The mare assured her. "I think children should open at least one present on Hearth's Warming Eve."

Autumn sighed in defeat, smiled, and gave the colts back their gifts so that they could finish unwrapping them.

"How was your trip, Twilight?" Flint asked.

"Long." The Alicorn bluntly stated.

"Where did you go this time? I want to hear all about it." Marie insisted, for she loved hearing about her Godmother's travels.

"Oh, you know, the usual places: the Smokey Mountains, Maretonia, Mt. Aris, the Crystal Empire. Then I picked up your gifts."

"Oh, wow!" Snips said in awe as they each held up a tin soldier. "Snails; look! New toy soldiers for our collection!"

"That's awesome, Snips!"

The two rushed to the glass cabinet, opened it and took out a pink winged pony soldier with purple eyes and blue hair.

"Commander Dash!" Snips exclaimed, speaking for the toy in his hoof. "It appears you have some new recruits! We need to put them through training right away!"

"You're right, General Firefly!" Snails added, voicing a blue winged pony with cerise eyes and rainbow hair. "Where should we start? Wing-ups for the Pegasi or running laps for the Earth Ponies and Unicorns?"

The rest of the family chuckled at their behavior. "These ones are for you two." Madam Sparklemeyer said, handing two packages to Flintlock and Autumn Sun.

"Oh, thank you!" Autumn said in gratitude as she opened her tiny box.

"Oh my!" Flint marveled, lifting a golden pocket watch out of his package. "Is this real gold?"

Madam Sparklemeyer nodded her head. "I got that in Manehattan."

"Twilight, it's gorgeous!" Autumn exclaimed as she put an emerald bracelet on her left foreleg.

" _That_ was from the Crystal Empire." Twilight replied.

"You really shouldn't have! I mean these must've cost a fortune." Autumn said.

Twilight lifted her hoof and scoffed. "Money is no object when it comes to friendship."

She smiled at her goddaughter. "I actually have _two_ gifts for you, Sunset Marie, and you have to treat them both with the best of care."

Marie raised an eyebrow in interest. "What are they?"

Madam Sparklemeyer led her to the couch and handed her a small, red package wrapped in a sea foam green ribbon. Marie opened it and gasped. Inside was the prettiest necklace she had ever seen! It had a golden chain with a pale red, jeweled sun pendant.

"It's beautiful!" She said in wonder. "What kind of jewel is this, Godmother?"

Twilight smiled as she put the necklace around her goddaughter's neck. "This is a very rare Daybreak Ruby. I saw it in the shop and thought it would look beautiful on you."

"I love it, Godmother." Marie said, touching the sun pendant. "Thank you."

"Now for my _second_ gift." She said, giving her a blue package.

"Hey!" Snips scowled. "How come _she_ gets two presents?"

"Yeah!" Snails added. "No fair!"

"I gave you each five soldiers. By simple arithmetic, _you two_ received the most presents." That didn't seem to wipe the jealousy off the young colts' faces.

Marie peeled back the wrapping and opened the box. Lying inside the box was the figure of a unicorn stallion, only it was made of a large sparkling gemstone. He wore a royal blue coat with golden buttons, a tall blue hat, dark blue trousers, black boots and a belt with a miniature sword. His face was pale yellow with blue eyes and a Persian blue mane. His mouth was huge with bright white teeth painted on it. Sunset Marie carefully levitated the toy stallion out of the box.

"Oh, Twilight." She whispered. "He's so handsome!" She blushed. "I mean…"

The Alicorn chuckled. "It's okay, sweetie. He was carved rather well, don't you think?"

"I'll say he is." Marie answered, looking back at her crystal doll.

"What is it?" Snips asked curiously.

"Yeah, what?" Snails added.

"It's a crystal nutcracker. Here, I'll show you how it works."

"Twilight, isn't Marie a little too old for dolls?" Autumn inquired.

"Nonsense. I'll need some nuts." The Alicorn said as she levitated a small bowl of nuts onto the nearby coffee table.

She then took a nut from the bowl. She placed it inside the nutcracker's mouth, pulled down the lever sticking out of his back and the shell cracked inside the crystal jaw. Madam Sparklemeyer took out the nut and popped it in her mouth. Marie excitedly grabbed another nut and tried the same thing. The parents and the other guests decided to leave the children with their godmother and set the table for dinner.

"This is wonderful! Thank you, Twilight!" Marie said before giving her godmother a hug.

"Hey, that looks cool! _I_ want a turn!" Snips exclaimed, standing up.

"Me, too!" Snails added before standing up after his brother.

Then, the two colts grabbed the nutcracker out of Marie's hooves with their own magic. Their sister pulled on it and they pulled back.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" She demanded.

"We wanna play with it too!" Snails argued.

"Yeah! You should share!" Snips added.

"No! Stop, you'll break it!"

"No we won't!"

Snails flicked Marie's horn with his hoof to deactivate her magic and Snips snatched the nutcracker. But soon, Snips' magic accidentally turned off and the nutcracker fell to the floor with a crash and its jaw immediately broke off. Sunset Marie gasped in shock, picked up the crystal doll, and looked at it in her hooves. Her head rose and she glared darkly at her brothers. The colts backed away with nervous expressions on their faces.

"Oops." Snips squeaked.

Their lips quivered. "Sorry, sis…" The colts said in unison.

"Ugh! I _knew_ you'd break it! You two are never careful with _anything_! All you do is _break_ things! You're impossible!" Marie ranted, stomping her hoof on the floor.

"Sunset Marie, don't be so hard on your brothers. They're only children, after all." The Alicorn said sternly.

"Whatever. That thing is ugly anyway. C'mon, Snails. Let's go play with some _real_ soldiers!" Snips huffed as he and his brother stood up.

"Right behind you." Snails answered as the two colts walked away.

Marie scowled at her brothers and then looked sadly at her nutcracker.

"Poor thing."

She took the green ribbon from her first gift and wrapped it around the nutcracker's head, holding his jaw in place.

"There. All better." She said with a smile.

Madam Sparklemeyer smiled at her goddaughter's compassion towards others, even to her toys. "You know, there's a story behind this nutcracker."

"There is?" Marie asked.

"Yes. Would you like to hear it?" Madam Sparklemeyer asked.

Marie, who always loved a good story, nodded and sat beside her godmother.

"Have you ever heard the Legend of the Nutcracker Prince? It's a tale as old as United Equestria itself is, though these days hardly anyone knows it."

"No, I haven't heard of it." Marie said, rather intrigued.

"In the old days of Equestria, there was a kingdom on the outskirts of the land. The ruler was a unicorn princess who was known for being a bit… selfish. She was very vain, stingy, spoiled, and she held very little regard for her fellow monarchs, much less her fellow ponies. Her name was Princess Sterling Silver and she definitely wasn't one of this Kingdom's better monarchs… like her successor."

'I can imagine. She sounds dreadful.' Marie thought.

"On the day that she was looking for a stallion to wed, something terrible happened to the Princess. One of the suitors had cast an evil spell upon her, making her as hideous as he was."

"What do you mean?" Marie asked.

"You see the suitor himself was a hideous creature that no pony, especially not the princess, would ever want him. As ugly as he was, he was still powerful and he was obsessed with dark magic and ancient curses. The only thing that could break the spell was the Corundum Nut, the most powerful nut in the world. A young unicorn stallion, a prince managed to crack the nut and feed it to the princess, turning her as beautiful as she was before. But that didn't stop the creature. He cast another spell on the poor prince, turning him to crystal, and the princess, repulsed by his disfigured appearance, banished him from the land forever. After that, the monster started an uprising, overthrew the princess, forcefully took over the kingdom, and crowned himself the Storm King."

"Oh no!" Marie said, glancing down at the nutcracker. "So the Storm King turned that poor prince into a nutcracker? _This_ nutcracker?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, the very same. And the only way to break the curse is true love's kiss. That was why the Storm King attacked and took over after the Princess banished him. So he could never find someone to love him as he was."

"This Storm King sounds horrible!"

The Alicorn sighed. "Indeed, but anypony would act horrible if they hadn't been shown any kindness in their life." She put her hoof on her goddaughter's shoulder. "You must protect this nutcracker at all costs, Sunset Marie. The Storm King won't let him live like this forever. He wants revenge and he'll do _anything_ to receive it."

Marie smirked. "That _is_ a great story, Godmother, but you don't really expect me to believe all that, do you?"

Madam Sparklemeyer sighed and smiled softly. "No, I don't. Still, you'll take good care of him, won't you?"

"Of course I will." Marie replied as she rose and walked over to the toy cabinet. "I'll even introduce him to some of my other dolls."

Twilight watched with a smile as Marie interacted with her dolls. Her smile faded for a moment as her eyes fell upon the nutcracker.

"Soon. She's the one. I know it." She whispered.

After dinner, Sunset Marie was so tired that she fell asleep on the couch, the crystal nutcracker tucked tightly under her foreleg. Her mother and godmother both smiled as they watched her sleeping peacefully.

"Maybe we should put her to bed." Autumn declared.

Madam Sparklemeyer shook her head. "And ruin her dream? No, no; let her sleep."

The unicorn sighed and nodded in agreement; still, she wasn't going to let her only daughter freeze. She took a wool blanket from the couch and draped it over the sleeping mare.

As Marie's parents left the room, Twilight stayed behind and used her magic to carefully remove the nutcracker from Marie's grasp. She closed her eyes as she cast her spell and removed the green ribbon. Then she moved the nutcracker's jaw to check that it was back in place. As she gently returned the nutcracker to Marie, Twilight glanced at her goddaughter's sleeping face. Her horn glowed again and her magenta aura engulfed the sun pendant.

'Just in case.' She thought.

When the lights dimmed, she leaned forward and whispered to the nutcracker, "Trust me, she's the one."

The clock struck midnight: the Witching Hour, when magic is at its prime. The tiny fire still burning in the stone hearth glowed on the figure of the unicorn mare sleeping on the sofa.

"And so it begins…" An unfamiliar male voice rang through.

On the stroke of twelve, an army of dark figures wearing silver and red armor and carrying weapons began to emerge from a tiny mouse hole in the wall; these figures were not mice, but shadowy creatures in the shape of mice. They marched quietly into the parlor and stopped, as if waiting for something. Then another creature emerged from the hole, far taller and larger than the shadow mice and a toy pony.

He was a creature that stood on two legs with silver fur, neon blue eyes, two large horns from either side of his head, and large sharpened teeth, almost like fangs. He was dressed in black body armor and a large black crown in the form of a helmet on his head. It was the Storm King himself. His cyan blue eyes squinted as he looked at the sleeping mare on the sofa. He paused as he got a look at her face.

"Pretty little thing, isn't she?" He mused. "Almost feel sorry that I have to get rid of her."

"Leave her alone!"

The Storm King gasped as an all too familiar yellow and blue figure hopped from the daybed and onto the floor in front of the King and lashed out a sword from his belt. It was the Nutcracker.

"You!" The King shouted.

"Have at thee!" The Nutcracker challenged. "Leave the mare alone!"

"Stay outta this, you miserable little punk! Even in this form, you'll _always_ be a thorn in my side."

"And a thorn to you I shall remain, beast."

"I was merciful turning you to crystal rather than just _killing_ you. Let me go about my business and it will stay that way!"

"Your quarrel is with me! Stay away from Sunset Marie!"

"Newsflash, kid; I'm not really here for _her_. I'm here for _you_. So how about this? After I shatter you into nothing but useless shards, I kill her and take over your little kingdom."

"Over my dead body!"

"Why? What's she to you anyway? Don't you already have a wife?"

"You know that I never loved Sterling! I never had somepony to love all because of you!"

"Oh yes, that's right."

"If you want Marie, you'll have to get through _me_ first."

The King rolled his eyes and groaned. "Fine, whatever."

He then reached into his belt and he pulled a large sword out of its scabbard and pointed it at his opponent. "I'm flexible."

He swiped the blade at the nutcracker, but he quickly ducked out of his swing. The Nutcracker's horn then began to glow brightly, making his crystalline body sparkle all the while. Soon, an army of toy soldiers and other random toys from the nearby toy cabinet was standing right behind the nutcracker.

"You wanna do this the _hard_ way, don't ya? Fine. Let's PLAY." The Storm King said with a snarl.

And soon battle broke out in the parlor. Swords clattering and screams and shrieks of soldiers echoed throughout the room as both parties fought. The sound of the foes fighting was enough to wake Sunset Marie. Her eyes fluttered open as she wearily lifted her head to see what was making the sounds. She moved her hoof around the sofa as she realized that her nutcracker doll was gone.

She lifted the blanket and pillow, but couldn't find him. Then she heard another clang and spun around to see her nutcracker over by the fireplace, fighting a frightening looking pony his size. She shook her head and shut her eyes.

"What the hay? This must be a dream. It _has_ to be."

But when she opened them again, the strange battle was still going on. Surrounding the two foes was an army of tiny shadowy creatures in armor. The whole scene was bizarre to the young mare.

"Did I… did I hit my head or something?" She questioned, putting her hoof to her head.

She didn't know what was going on, but it frightened her that this horrifying creature was trying to hurt her Nutcracker. The enemies' swords were pressing against each other and the Nutcracker was losing the struggle. Determined to save him, Marie raced over to the battle. The shadowy mice, toy soldiers, and the other toys scrambled so they wouldn't be stepped on by the large pony.

"You've lost your touch, bucko." The Storm King sneered.

He screamed and dropped his sword as he was surrounded by a faint red light and was snatched up off of the floor. Sunset Marie brought the creature to her furious face.

"Leave him alone!" She bellowed.

"Ugh!" The Storm King groaned. "Oh yeah, I forgot about you."

He was angry at her, then he smirked at the giant mare. "Now, don't you think you should pick on someone your own size?"

His sword suddenly turned into a magical staff and before she knew it, Marie was engulfed in a black magical aura coming from the gem in the staff. She dropped the Storm King as he grew bigger. She glanced around and saw that the whole room was getting bigger. No, _she_ was getting _smaller_! The shrinking stopped when she was about the same size of the nutcracker doll.

"What… just happened?" She asked, nervously looking around her.

She looked up as she heard the creature chuckle darkly. He now towered over her, about twice or thrice her size.

"Not so fearless now, are we, my little pony?" He sneered.

She backed away as the King slowly approached her. "A-are you… the Storm King?" She stammered in fear.

"Ah! So you've heard of me. Then you must know why I'm here."

"You're here to hurt my Nutcracker, aren't you?"

" _Hurt_ him? Ha! I'm afraid I'd be doing _way_ more than that, sweetheart."

The Storm King reached out his claw to grab Sunset Marie, but her necklace glowed and a bolt of electricity shot out of it, shocking the King's hand. He shrieked in surprise as the Nutcracker's sword twisted itself into his tail. He whipped his head around and growled at his foe as he was spun around by the crystal toy.

"You'll have to go through _me_ first, ugly!" The nutcracker declared.

The King narrowed his eyes as he tried to get his tail free.

"So be it!" He growled.

"Run!" The nutcracker cried, looking at Marie.

Marie didn't hesitate and slipped away from the monster King, running at top speed.

"No!" The King screamed while shielding himself from the nutcracker's blows. "Minions, grab that mare!"

Marie screamed in terror as the mice chased after her. She skidded to a halt as a hoard of them blocked her path. The nutcracker saw her plight and looked over at the toy cabinet.

"Soldiers!" He called. "Protect Sunset Marie!"

Marie was amazed once again as her brothers' tin soldiers and all of her other old toys charged toward the mice with either swords or cannons.

"Attack!" One of the soldiers commanded.

The soldiers attacked the mice with the mice fighting back with all their might. Marie used this distraction to escape and she hid under the sofa.

She heard a cry and turned to see the Storm King leading her nutcracker toward the fireplace. A few more steps and he would be burned alive! Marie gasped as the nutcracker's sword was pulled out of his grasp. The King then pointed his blade at the nutcracker's throat.

"It's over." He chuckled.

Thinking fast, Marie removed one of her slippers with her magic and threw it hard at the Storm King. It hit him square in the back of the head and he let out a surprised cry.

"Ow!" He shrieked, spinning around. "Who threw that?!"

He growled when he saw Marie run from his sight. Meanwhile, the nutcracker scrambled around for his weapon.

"Idiots!" The Storm King howled. "I've told you to get her!"

He sighed as he put his hand over his face. "Do I have to do everything myself!?"

The nutcracker charged the King from behind, but he managed to turn around just in time. He used his magic to throw the Nutcracker against the wall. The nutcracker lay on the floor in pain; parts of his body were cracked in some places.

"Sorry to cut our battle short, Your Highness." The Storm King smirked. "But I have an annoying, meddling mare to catch."

"No." The toy uttered, attempting to rise.

The Storm King began to pursue the young mare, leaving the Nutcracker behind. As soon as Marie saw that the Storm King was after her, she searched frantically for a place to hide. She then looked up at her old dollhouse sitting under the tree, which was the size of a real house now. She activated her magic and teleported herself to the house's door and she slipped inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

The dark King chuckled at her action. "Silly little filly, thinking she can hide from me."

He ran into the house after her, smashing the door in front of him. He scanned the doll-sized room he was in, trying to determine which piece of toy furniture the pony was hiding behind.

"Where are you, my pretty?" The King called in a singsong voice. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

With one swift motion, he turned over the toy couch and found nothing underneath. He pushed over a chair but was again unsuccessful.

"Come on. I won't hurt you. I'll make sure no harm comes to you." He kicked the table with his hind legs, but that, too, was empty.

Meanwhile, Sunset Marie was pressed up against the wall of the tiny closet. The darkness of the small room startled her and she had to stand on her hind hooves to fit, but she was more afraid of the creature lurking outside. What did he want with her?

"In fact, why don't you make things easy for us both and just hand yourself over to me to save your precious Nutcracker Prince?" He called out. "Your choice."

She held her breath as she heard him stop outside the door.

"Fine, suit yourself. If you won't give yourself up and save your friend, I'll just have to keep hurting him until you do."

She gasped in fright. She realized her mistake too late and put her hoof to her mouth. The door flung open and the Storm King grinned a wicked, fanged smile at her. Marie screamed in horror as he snatched her up and lifted her off out of the closet and closer to his face, staring at him dead in the eyes.

"Let me go!" She yelled, furiously flailing her hooves around trying to hit the King.

"My, my, my." He snickered. "You're a feisty little thing, aren't you? …I _hate_ feisty."

She didn't listen and persisted in trying to wrench herself out of his grasp as he flopped her over his shoulder and carried her away from the dollhouse. Outside, the Nutcracker was trying his best to get back onto his hooves, but due to his severe injuries he couldn't.

"Somepony, help!"

He turned at the sound of Sunset Marie's voice and saw the Storm King carrying her toward the mouse hole.

"Marie! NO!" The nutcracker cried. He tried to stand up again, but to no avail.

"Somepony! Save her!"

Soon, Sunset Marie used her magic to lift her slipper off of the ground and she threw it again. The King yelped as he once again felt the slipper hit the back of his head. He turned around and searched for the culprit.

"Who keeps doing that?!" He demanded.

Suddenly, he lost his grip on the mare, who landed on the floor with a thud. She looked at him and her horn lit up again as a beam of magic shot the dark King, zapping him right on the hind quarters.

"Take that, you jerk!" She cried as she got to her hooves and ran to the Nutcracker's aid.

The Storm King shrieked as he felt the beam hit him in the behind. "Why, you little brat!" He grunted between his teeth. "You will pay for that!"

"Leave her alone!" The nutcracker managed to scream.

The King turned his head towards the two ponies and he brought out his sword. "This mare is _really_ starting to get under my skin." He growled as he ran over to the ponies.

He towered over the couple and looked at them with a look of disdain and rage on his face. Marie stood strong, not letting her terror cloud her thinking.

"You stood in my way ever since I arrived, you pesky pony. This is where it all ends." Sombra muttered.

He grabbed Marie's foreleg and his staff lit up with black magic. As soon as he did, light pulsed from the nutcracker's horn and he grabbed his sword from the floor. There, he thrust the blade into the King's chest through his armor, striking him in the heart. He shrieked and cried out in pain as the cold blade was withdrawn from his body; he dropped his staff which caused it to break on contact with the hard floor.

The Storm King suddenly fell onto his side with a thud and he muttered something to the couple before losing consciousness, "You crystal pest."

The room was deathly silent, no pony or toy moved. The mice creatures gasped and surrounded their King. They lifted his corpse off of the floor and they took him back to the mouse hole. The evil and tyrannical Storm King was dead at last. Marie looked back at her Nutcracker, holding his weak body in her hooves.

"Oh, my poor Nutcracker." She whispered, stroking his mane.

"Don't worry, Marie. I'm just stone." The nutcracker muttered as he stroked Marie's face.

"No, you're not. I know you're much more than that to me… my prince."

It was there and then that Sunset Marie tearfully bestowed the nutcracker with a passionate kiss. As she did, her pendant began to glow as did the crystal stallion. Marie didn't seem to notice because her eyes were shut. But soon, she felt a hoof touch her face. She opened her eyes and she saw that the nutcracker had been transformed into a handsome unicorn stallion who was smiling warmly at her. She gasped.

"Are… are you… the Nutcracker Prince?" Marie asked with wide eyes.

"I am. And thank you, Sunset Marie. You've released me from my curse." The pony said as he offered her his hoof. She took it and stood straight.

"So the story IS true?"

"Indeed it is. But now the Storm King is dead and I'm finally free. So… do you want to come with me?"

"Where?"

"Someplace special."

Sunset Marie's necklace glowed again and both ponies were bathed in a bright light as they closed their eyes. When the light vanished, Marie opened her eyes to see that she was standing in the middle of the most exquisite and lavish ballroom she had ever seen in her life. It seemed to her that everything around her was made of sweets and candy.

"What is this place?" Marie asked.

"My home, the Land of Sweets." The Prince said.

"Ah, my Prince!" A new voice cried.

The couple whipped their heads around to see an absolutely radiant Alicorn pony standing at the top of the grand staircase. She spread her massive white wings and brought them down, flying into the air and softly landing on her hooves in front of the two ponies. She seemed to tower over both of them.

"Your Highness, you've returned! And your spell has been broken! At last!" The pony exclaimed before giving the Prince a hug.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, milady." The Prince said, hugging the mare back.

"And who is this?" The mare asked, pulling away and looking at Marie.

"This is Sunset Marie, milady. She's the pony who set me free." The Prince answered.

"Is she now? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear."

"It's nice to meet you, too. And who are you?" Marie asked.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Marie, this is the Sugar Plum Fairy, a good friend of mine."

"A pleasure. Well, now that we have introductions out of the way, your subjects are waiting for you, Your Highness."

With a simple wave of her horn, the Sugar Plum Fairy transformed Marie's nightdress into a lovely sea foam green ball gown with matching shoes while the Prince's old uniform was turned into a Persian blue and golden suit with black and royal blue boots to match. And each atop their heads, a golden crown glistened like the sun. The ballroom doors suddenly flew open and enormous crowds of ponies and toys of all kinds poured into the room surrounding the Prince and Marie. They cheered for Marie and congratulated her for bringing their Prince back to them. That was when the Prince took her hoof and bowed his head before asking,

"May I have the next dance?"

Sunset Marie smiled warmly, honored that a real prince would be so forward with her, and she accepted his offer. Marie had never learned to dance before, but it didn't seem to stop her from gliding across the floor with her Prince by her side. As the pair of them danced, the other ponies and the toys could only stare at them in happiness and joy, none more so than the Sugar Plum Fairy herself. As Marie and the Prince gazed into each other's eyes lovingly, it seemed like this was all a wonderful dream come true.

"Marie?" The Prince asked, kneeling before the mare.

"Yes?" Marie asked.

"Will you stay here with me? And be my Princess?" He asked, holding her hoof in his.

"I… I don't know what to say!" Marie exclaimed.

"SAY YES!" The crowd cheered.

"Oh, how I'd love to… but…" Marie's happiness soon faded and her smile turned into a frown.

"But what, my dear?" The Fairy asked.

"What's the matter?" The Prince added.

"Nothing. I mean… I love it here, but this is where all of you belong, not me. I belong in _Equestria_. I love you, Prince, I really do, but I can't stay here forever. My friends and family need me and I need them. I'm sorry, I really am."

"I understand." The Prince solemnly said.

But soon, the toys and the ponies in the crowds suddenly either began to freeze or disappear into thin air completely. Marie didn't understand what was going on.

"Sugar Plum Fairy, what's going on? What did I do?" She asked as she ran towards the Alicorn.

"It's not your fault, Marie. Just go do what you want to do. And none of us will begrudge you for it." The Fairy said before vanishing in a bright yellow light.

Marie looked back at the Prince and tried to run to him, but she suddenly met the gaze of a familiar and horrific face. It was the Storm King. Marie screamed and backed away from the creature. He appeared to be holding his chest wound with his claw and parts of his body were somewhat turning to stone as he limped towards her, his broken staff helping him stand up and walk like a crutch.

"YOU?!" Marie cried in shock. "I thought the Prince killed you back in the parlor! I thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry, my dear Sunset Marie, but if I told you I wasn't… you would be hearing a lie." The monstrous King snarled at the mare.

Marie tried to hold the Storm King off by throwing various sweets and pastries at him and blasting him with some of her magic, but her fighting him only made him angrier at her. As Marie tried to fight him off, the Prince began to vanish with the rest of his subjects, parts of his body deteriorating into white smoke.

"Marie." He said weakly as he fell to the marble floor, trying to crawl over to Marie.

"Get away from me! I said stay away from me! Leave me alone!" The young mare demanded as she was throwing a tray of cupcakes at the King's face.

"You have ruined _everything_ I've worked for. My plans, my spells, my reign, my world. And now… you will PAY!" The King roared as he withdrew his sword from his belt.

"Marie." The Prince managed to croak before disappearing entirely as well as the rest of the crowd and the Fairy.

Marie then backed into the balcony railing, realizing that it was a dead end. She screamed and covered her face with her hooves, preparing for the King's sword to strike. But then, the Storm King fell to his knees and he finally came into contact with Marie's necklace. It burned his chest greatly, causing the wound in his chest to cauterize in the very instant as though the jewel itself was red hot. He howled in agony. Marie brought her hooves under the Storm King and she flung him off of her body and over the balcony causing him to land with a loud crash onto the unforgiving ground below. He was never seen by pony eyes again. Breathing heavily, Marie looked back into the ballroom, only to see that everypony was gone.

"Nutcracker! Nutcracker, where are you?!" Marie shouted with tears in her eyes. "My Prince! No, don't leave me!"

She could just hear the Prince's voice faintly saying:

"Sunset Marie… I love you."

"I love you, too, my Prince! Please don't go! Where are you?! Tell me where you are! Answer me, please! Where are you?! NUTCRACKER!"

Marie abruptly awoke early the next morning with a cold sweat and tears in her eyes. She frantically looked around, but nothing was found. The Crystal Nutcracker was gone. She looked at herself and saw that her ball gown was gone. She also noticed that she was back in the parlor of her own home. She got up and looked around the toy cabinet but the Nutcracker wasn't there. She desperately looked all over the messy parlor, hoping to try and find him.

"Nutcracker? Where is he?" She asked, still trying to comprehend the events that happened the night before as she searched.

"Sunset Marie, you're up. Happy Hearth's Warming." Autumn Sun said as she and Flintlock entered the parlor.

"Mom? Dad?" Marie stammered as she turned her head to look at them.

"Wow. The mice must've had a party down here last night or something." Flint said, looking at the horrendous state of the parlor.

"No, dad; it wasn't a party at all. It was a _war_." Marie blurted out. "The Crystal Nutcracker was fighting the Monster King who shrank me with a dark magic spell!"

"What?" Autumn said, confused. "Marie, what in the name of Equestria are you talking about?"

"I've never heard such a story." Flint added.

"No, it's _not_ a story! It _really_ happened! I swear!" Marie insisted.

"Present time!" Snips and Snails shouted as they ran into the parlor.

Marie stopped them and looked at them sternly. "Snips, Snails, did either of _you_ take my nutcracker?" She demanded.

"Why would _we_ want it?" Snails asked.

"Yeah. It's just a dumb chunk of rock." Snips commented.

"No, you're wrong! He's really a prince, I mean a _king_! He's technically a king now! An evil creature cursed him and took the Nutcracker's kingdom for his own!" She explained. "It all happened last night, I swear! I saw it all!"

"What the hay are you talking about?" Snips asked.

"I think our sister has finally lost it." Snails whispered to his brother with a giggle.

"Where's all this coming from?" Flint asked.

"I've never heard such a thing, even from Twilight." Autumn added.

"Godmother." Marie whispered as she grabbed her scarf and ran out the door.

Sunset Marie was now more determined than ever to find out the truth about the Nutcracker Prince and the events that happened the night before. She ran through the snow covered streets of the town until she reached her Godmother's toy shop. She frantically pounded her front hooves on the door, demanding to be let inside.

"Twilight! Twilight! I need to talk to you! It's important! Let me in! Open up, please! Open the door!" She screamed.

The door suddenly opened and Madam Sparklemeyer was standing in the doorway.

"Sunset Marie?" She cried. "What are you doing out here? Come in. Come in."

Madam Sparklemeyer let her goddaughter into her shop, closed the door behind her, and looked at Marie who was now in tears.

"Oh, Godmother, it's the Crystal Nutcracker. He's gone!" She said in between sobs. "I have to know the truth. Did you _personally_ know the Nutcracker? Was there really a Storm King? Is this lost kingdom a real place? Oh Twilight, I have to know, I just _have_ to know!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Slow down, dear. Slow down. It's okay, it's okay." Twilight said, comforting Marie as best she could.

"No, it's NOT okay! My Crystal Nutcracker Prince is GONE!"

"Aunt Twilight? What's going on?" A new voice called.

Marie's ears perked up at the voice; it almost sounded familiar. She looked up and she almost gasped when she saw that it was a young unicorn stallion with a pale yellow coat, blue eyes, and a Persian blue mane and tail standing behind her and Madame Sparklemeyer. He looked at her and his eyes widened, she did the same. Twilight turned around and she smiled warmly at the young stallion.

"Marie, I don't believe you've met my nephew, Comet Tail. Comet, this is Sunset Marie, the daughter of some dear friends of mine." The Alicorn introduced politely.

There was a long moment of awkward silence between the two ponies before Twilight casually backed out of the room to give the two ponies some much needed privacy. The stallion slowly approached the mare before him; he took her hoof and kissed it gently.

"Hello, Sunset Marie. It's very nice to meet you." He said politely, blushing furiously.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you, too." Marie said kindly, blushing as much as he was.

"This may sound strange, but… do you wanna dance?" Comet asked.

Marie said with a wink and a sly smile, "I'd love to. Besides, I can't say 'no' to the _King_."

So, Comet took Marie's hoof in his own and the two ponies began to dance around the little toy shop together in a romantic manner; Madam Sparklemeyer was watching them from a nearby hallway. She smiled, winked at her nephew, and whispered,

"See? I told you she was the one."

She smiled for she knew that from then on, Sunset Marie and her Crystal Nutcracker Prince would live happily ever after.


	24. The Crusaders and the Timberwolf

Once upon a time in a small village on the edge of the forest, there lived three fillies who were best friends and they formed a special club called the Crusaders. The fillies' names were Bloom, Scoot, and Belle and they did everything together. Bloom lived with her Grandmother on a farm near the village and the forest. Belle and Scoot were frequent visitors and they always played out in the meadow whenever they came over. Little did they know that their humble young lives would take an unexpected turn.

One beautiful morning in the spring, while Scoot and Belle were on their way through town to visit Bloom's farm as usual, they saw that everypony in the village was running straight to their homes and tightly locking and bolting up the doors and windows, as if they were afraid of something. Then, out of nowhere, one frightened mare clumsily ran into the two fillies by accident and they fell to the ground on top of each other.

"Oh, sorry about that, girls!" The mare panted as she got back onto her hooves. "I didn't see you there."

"Oh, that's okay. Don't worry about it." Scoot said.

"Yeah, but what's going on, ma'am?" Belle asked curiously. "Why is everypony hiding?"

"Haven't you two heard?" The mare said to the fillies. "There's a _Timberwolf_ on the loose!"

Without missing a beat, a startling howl rang through the village and the mare galloped straight back to her house to hide.

Belle and Scoot were shocked and terrified at the horrible news so they ran down the road and towards Bloom's farm as fast as they could to tell their friend about the Timberwolf. When they finally arrived, they were surprised to see Bloom standing outside the gate around her farmhouse with a length of rope over her right shoulder.

"Hey, girls!" Bloom greeted as she happily waved her hoof at them as her friends ran towards her. "What brings you two here?"

"Bloom, what are you doing out here?" Belle asked in a confused tone.

"Don't you know that there's a Timberwolf on the loose?" Scoot asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm standin' out here with this rope. I'm gonna catch the Timberwolf." Bloom said.

"What?!" Her friends cried in shock.

"But, Bloom, what about your grandma?" Scoot asked.

"Yeah. If she catches you out here, we're all gonna get in big trouble." Belle added.

"It's okay, girls. Granny's asleep right now and she won't wake up for at least a few hours. And don't worry; it'll be perfectly fine, I promise. But I can't do this alone. I'm gonna need some help. Wanna come with me?" Bloom offered.

"Us?!" The two fillies exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Yeah! If we go on this hunt together and catch that thing, we'll be heroes! So what do ya say, Crusaders? You in?" Bloom offered her open hoof to her friends, waiting for a response.

Scoot and Belle thought long and hard about their friend's daring proposal. On one hoof, they didn't want to get into trouble with anypony or get seriously hurt by the Timberwolf. On the other hoof, they would probably never get another opportunity like this to be called heroes.

In the end, Belle and Scoot reluctantly agreed to Bloom's offer. And soon, the three fillies went out into the meadow beyond the farm in search for the horrid Timberwolf.

As they made their way deeper into the meadow and closer to the forest, the Crusaders heard whistling coming from up above. They looked and saw that the sound was coming from a little bird with sky blue wings that was sitting in a nearby tree.

"Hey! Whatcha doin'?" The bird chirped, flying down from her perch to get closer to the trio.

"Howdy, Rainbow Bird." Bloom said.

"What brings you three out here? Where are you going?" Rainbow Bird asked.

"We're going to go catch a Timberwolf. There's one on the loose." Belle replied.

"A Timberwolf on the loose?! Sounds exciting! That's _totally_ for me! Can I come with you guys? Can I? Can I?" The bird asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Well… okay! The more the merrier!" Bloom said. "Come on, follow me."

Bloom led her friends further, as if she was the leader of a marching band; Belle, Scoot, and Rainbow Bird were following close behind.

"Be careful guys. Timberwolves are dangerous." Bloom said.

"Where do you think it could be?" Scoot asked.

"Don't know. It could be anywhere, so be prepared." The Earth filly said.

That was when the group heard a twig snap. "What was that?" Rainbow Bird asked, huddling closer to Scoot.

"I don't know. But it might be the Timberwolf. Get ready." Belle said.

But it wasn't the Timberwolf. It was only a little duck with pink feathers waddling by. She gasped when she saw the Crusaders and Rainbow Bird.

"Oh! Don't worry, guys, it's only my pet duck, Ducky Pie." Belle said.

"Hey, Belle!" The duck said as she waddled to the unicorn filly.

"Ducky Pie, what are you doing out here? And how did you get out of the house?" Belle asked.

"What can I say? I know my way around. That's how I roll. Plus… I'm kinda lost. But what are _you_ doing out here with your friends and that bird?" Ducky Pie asked.

"We're hunting." The filly replied.

"Hunting? That sounds pretty fun. And exciting."

"Wanna come with?"

"Well… okay. I guess I could do that. What are you guys hunting for anyway?"

"We're hunting for a Timberwolf."

When Ducky Pie heard what her young owner had just said, she let out a dramatic gasp and she quickly began to panic and waddle around in a state of terror. The Crusaders and Rainbow Bird tried their best to calm her down, but she wouldn't stop.

"Ducky Pie, stop that! Calm down! Don't worry!" Bloom said.

"Don't tell me not to worry! Timberwolves eat little creatures like us for lunch!" Ducky Pie cried, nearly in tears.

"But don't be afraid! We're gonna _catch_ the Timberwolf!" Rainbow Bird added.

"You are? Oh! Well… then… we could go hunting for something a little _less_ ruthless and evil, but if all of you guys are okay with it, I'm fine too!"

In the end, Ducky Pie joined the group, though she was as terrified as can be. Little did they know was that there was something else watching them in the tall grass. When it finally crept up onto the group, in a loud voice, it yelled:

"Boo!"

That made the Crusaders and two birds jump and scream in fright. Scoot moved the grass out of the way only to see a cat with ivory white fur and blue eyes.

"No! No! Guys, come back! It was just a cat." Scoot said to her friends.

"A cat?" Rainbow Bird and Ducky Pie exclaimed.

"Yes. I am Rari-Cat." The cat said proudly as she made her way to the Pegasus filly.

"Bad kitty!" Belle scolded.

"You can't just go around scaring other ponies like that!" Ducky Pie angrily added.

"That wasn't nice!" Bloom commented.

"What? I was just having some fun. Take a joke, as they say." Rari-Cat laughed.

"Well, I'm not going if she's going!" Rainbow Bird said, crossing her wings over her chest.

"Who do you think you are?" The duck demanded.

"I've told you it was a joke! Please, don't make such a big deal!" Rainbow Mew groaned.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" The Crusaders shouted.

"Look, if ya'll wanna come with me and my friends to catch the Timberwolf, then you have to learn to get along and work together. OKAY?" Bloom said.

"Yeah, I guess." "I suppose." "Maybe." The trio of animals said, nodding their heads shamefully.

"Good. Now we can go on with our hunt and nopony's gonna stand in our way." Bloom exclaimed proudly.

But then Bloom felt something tap her shoulder and she heard someone clear their throat. The group looked and saw that it was Bloom's elderly Grandmother! She woke up from her nap and she was really angry because Bloom had gone out into the meadow without her permission. Bloom gasped and backed away from the old mare before her, her friends doing the same.

"Bloom, what in tarnation are you and your friends doin' out here in the meadow?! How many times have I told ya not to come out here by yourself?! It's dangerous out here! Don't ya'll know there's a Timberwolf on the loose?!" Granny said, an angry look in her eyes.

"Yeah, that's why we're out here, Granny. We're gonna go catch it." Bloom replied.

Her friends nodded their heads and said, "That's right."

"What?! Oh, no you're not, lil' missy! That thing might catch you three first! Now I want ya'll inside the gate, so you girls follow me. And your little critter friends have to stay outside." Granny said, dragging the Crusaders back to the barn.

When the group finally made their way back to the farmhouse, Granny threw the fillies behind the gate, closed it, locked it, and went back into the house to continue her nap, leaving the Crusaders to sadly stare out the gate at their new friends.

"Sorry, guys." Bloom said sadly. "Looks like a change of plans."

"Oh, come on! I really wanted to do this!" Scoot protested.

"This is so unfair!" Belle whined.

But no sooner had Granny went back into the house than a sickeningly disgusting smell wafted though the air, filling everypony's nose.

"Ew! What is that smell?" Rari-Cat complained, plugging her nose with her paw.

"I don't know but whatever it is, it must be revolting!" Rainbow Bird commented, doing the same gesture.

"For once, I _agree_ with you both." Ducky Pie whined, trying to fan away the smell by flapping her wings.

"You guys smell it, too?" Bloom asked worriedly. "I was hopin' it was in my head."

Then, in the distance, the Crusaders saw a pair of yellow eyes staring at them through the trees of the forest. When they came closer, the girls could see that they were the eyes of the Timberwolf! The animals didn't see it and it was heading right for them. The girls were so scared that they were unable to find the words; all they could do was stammer, mumble, or babble. The animals were very confused and they didn't know what their pony friends were trying to tell them. Finally, when the Timberwolf was just behind the three animals, the Crusaders blurted out:

"TURN AROUND!"

Rainbow Bird and Ducky Pie obediently whipped their heads around only to see the Timberwolf right behind them. They screamed in terror and ran off, each in a different direction. Rari-Cat was the last to turn around, however.

"What are you girls talking about?" She asked. When she saw it standing behind her, she was nearly frozen in fear. She let out a frightened squeal. "Girls! What do I do?!"

"RUN!" The Crusaders shrieked.

Without missing a beat, Rari-Cat jumped up onto her paws and clawed her way straight up the nearest tree which was the same tree where Rainbow Bird was hiding in. The Timberwolf couldn't reach them up there, so it went after Ducky Pie instead.

It chased after her; no matter how hard she tried to run, Ducky Pie couldn't escape the Timberwolf. It was getting closer and closer, catching up with her, the little pink duck screaming in terror the whole time. And then it caught her and in an instant, it swallowed her whole.

"Ducky Pie! NOOO!" The fillies, Rainbow Bird, and Rari-Cat cried.

As the Timberwolf kept spitting pink feathers out of his mouth, the Crusaders, Rari-Cat, and Rainbow Bird mourned the loss of their dear friend.

And now, this is how things stood: Rari-Cat was on one branch with Rainbow Bird on another, neither of them too close to the other. And the Timberwolf walked around beneath the tree, looking up at them with greedy eyes. Meanwhile, the Crusaders stood by the fence watching all that was going on. They knew they couldn't just stand by while their friends were in trouble.

"Girls, we have to do somethin'! We need to save our friends!" Bloom exclaimed.

"But how can we do that if we're just stuck in here? Your grandma took the key." Belle asked.

As her friends tried to think of a plan, Scoot had already come up with an idea. She urged Belle to climb up onto her back and for Bloom to get on top of Belle. They hoisted each other onto the top of the wall and, one at a time, they grabbed a branch that stretched out over the high stone wall. And soon, they climbed over onto the tree with Rainbow Bird and Rari-Cat. The girls were greeted warmly, but the reunion was short lived when they saw the Timberwolf below them.

"Okay, listen. We have a plan." Bloom whispered. "We're gonna catch that Timberwolf with this rope and tie it to the tree so it can't chase anyone anymore. But we'll have to work together."

"She's right, guys." Scoot commented. "Now Rainbow Bird, I want you to fly down there and buzz around the Timberwolf's head to get its attention, but you'll have to be careful not to get too close for it to catch you."

"You got it, sergeant!" The little blue bird said before giving a salute.

In a blur, Rainbow Bird flapped her wings and flew down from her perch in the tree and she hovered right in front of the Timberwolf's face, doing her best not to get herself caught. The little bird was certainly driving the Timberwolf mad and oh how it wanted to catch her, but she was far too clever and fast and he simply couldn't do anything about it.

"What's the matter, woody? Hungry? Soup's on!" She teased. The Timberwolf growled and snapped at the bird many times, but she was always just out of reach.

While Rainbow Bird was distracting the Timberwolf to the best of her abilities, Bloom and Belle made a lasso with the rope they brought with them and Scoot lowered it down while the Timberwolf wasn't looking. And soon, the girls caught the Timberwolf by the tail and they pulled on the rope with all their might.

Realizing that it was caught, the Timberwolf began to jump and thrash around wildly trying its best to get loose from the rope. But the girls kept their grip and the Timberwolf's relentless jumping and thrashing only made the rope around its tail even tighter. Unaware of its surroundings and desperately to get free from its trap, the Timberwolf broke off the large tree branch the Crusaders climbed onto to get to the tree.

"Oh no! There goes our escape route!" Rari-Cat cried worriedly.

"Okay, ladies, we have the Timberwolf caught. What now?!" Rainbow Bird demanded.

"I… I don't know." Bloom cried. "If we climb down now, then the Timberwolf would still get us. Oh no! There's no way out!"

Just when things were looking bleak, the Crusaders heard something from down below.

"You guys hear that?" Bloom asked.

"Hear what?" Rainbow Bird asked.

"You hear it, too, Bloom?" Scoot asked.

It sounded like hoofsteps coming towards the farm. The group looked down to see that it was a trio of hunters. They were out looking for the Timberwolf and they soon came across the tree.

"Guys, look! Hunters! That means we're safe!" Scoot cheered.

"Hey, up here!" "We're in the tree!" "Over here!" "We need your help!" "Help us!"

The Hunters looked up to see the group of five sitting in the top of the tree. They were confused until they saw the Timberwolf; then they figured out what was going on.

"Don't worry, kids!" One of the hunters shouted.

"No need to panic!" Another hunter said.

"We'll catch this monster for you!" The last hunter added.

"But we already caught the Timberwolf!" Belle said.

"And don't worry! We've caught it by the tail!" Scoot added, holding onto the rope tighter.

"And we just need ya'll to tie it up! We'd do it ourselves, but we're kinda in a pickle here." Bloom said before letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Alrighty, then. Let's go." The second hunter said, leading her companions towards the large creature. "Okay, on the count of three, we charge. One… Two… Three! Get it!"

That was when all three hunters jumped onto the Timberwolf, wrestled it, and tied it up with the rope tied to its tail. The Crusaders and their friends cheered as they climbed down the tree, now knowing that there was nothing to fear.

"Oh thank Celestia for savin' us!" Bloom sighed in relief

"All in a day's work." The lilac hunter said proudly.

"It was nothin'." The Earth pony hunter added, rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof.

"That was something alright!" Scoot cried.

"Yeah, we owe you!" Belle added.

"Thanks for catching the Timberwolf, too." Bloom said.

"Hey! _We_ caught it, not them!" Rainbow Bird protested.

"Well, _anypony_ helped. So _anypony_ caught the Timberwolf." Belle commented.

"Wait, girls! Do you realize what this means? It means we worked together as a team! We cooperated in order to catch the Timberwolf!" Rari-Cat said.

"She's right! We did!" Scoot said, smiling and flapping her wings excitedly.

"Thanks kids, but we wouldn't have done it at all if it wasn't for Bloom, Scoot, and Belle!" The Pegasus hunter said before everypony cheered for the fillies.

"Aw, shucks. Thanks, everypony." Bloom said, blushing.

"But we couldn't have done it without all of you." Belle added.

"Yeah, you could!" Rainbow Bird said.

"That's not important now. The important thing is that we caught the Timberwolf." Scoot said.

"Ooh! I have to tell Granny about this!" Bloom said as she took the Timberwolf to the gate. "Granny! Granny! Look at what me and my friends did!"

Bloom's Granny came out of the house, unlocked the gate, and walked out to see her granddaughter standing proudly with a piece of rope in her mouth and standing with her friends.

"Bloom! What are you doin' outside the gate?! Now, I thought I told—" Granny began. Then she saw the Timberwolf on the other end of Bloom's rope and she began to panic.

"The Timberwolf! Run for the hills! Everypony, save yourselves!" She cried.

"No, Granny, don't worry! It's okay. The Timberwolf can't hurt anypony now. It's all tied up, see that?" Bloom said, showing her grandmother the Timberwolf's rope binds.

Granny inspected the Timberwolf curiously and saw that Bloom was right.

"Huh. So it is. But what happened?" Granny asked.

"I'll tell you what happened, ma'am… the Crusaders happened! They got us all to work together to catch the Timberwolf!" A hunter said.

"Yeah! And they saved our lives, too!" Rainbow Bird said excitedly.

"We were stuck in the tree and the Timberwolf was gonna eat us but then the Crusaders saved us in the end!" Rari-Cat added.

"By capturing the Timberwolf, the Crusaders just saved the entire town!" The Hunters cheered.

Everypony was as happy as can be, but Granny looked far less than pleased with the fillies' heroic deed. She glared at the trio, shook her head discontentedly, and let out a sigh.

"Are… are you angry with us, Granny?" Bloom asked.

"Angry? _Angry_? _ANGRY_!? _OF COURSE I'M ANGRY_!" The old pony shrieked.

"Oh, boy." The fillies whispered. Rainbow Bird and Rari-Cat nodded.

"Ya'll didn't listen! I told ya to stay _inside_ the gate! What you did was dangerous! What if somethin' happened to you? What have ya got to say for yourselves?" Granny yelled.

The Crusaders looked at each other, then at their friends, then back at Granny with guilty expressions on their faces.

"You're right, Granny." Bloom said sadly.

"We should've listened to you." Belle added.

"Now we know how dangerous it is to hunt for Timberwolves." Scoot finished.

"We're sorry." They said, hanging their heads and looking at the ground.

"Well…" Granny started. "What you three did _was_ pretty wrong, and I'm angry at you because… it was because I was scared for you, girls. I'm sorry I snapped at ya'll. And right now, I'm just glad ya'll are okay."

"But, _we're_ really sorry we snuck out in the first place, Granny." Bloom said.

"Yeah. We'll listen you from now on." Scoot added.

"We promise." Belle said, nodding her head.

"It don't matter if you listen to me or not. Right now, the important thing is that ya'll are alright."

Granny smiled and pulled the three fillies into her embrace for a group hug. Rari-Cat was wiping a tear from her eye while the Hunters just smiled and Rainbow Bird was nearly on the verge of tears herself. But she quickly wiped away said tears away with her wing, still trying to act tough.

"Aw, great! Now you got _me_ acting all sappy!" She said trying to act abrasive as usual.

And soon, a wonderful, triumphant procession happened. The three Crusaders at the head, followed by the trio of hunters leading the Timberwolf through town, and winding up the procession were Granny and Rari-Cat. Above them all was Rainbow Bird excitedly flying in the air and chirping merrily.

"Woo-hoo! Look what we've caught, the girls, Rari-Cat, and I!" She cheered.

And if anypony had been listening very carefully, they would've heard Ducky Pie loudly quacking inside the Timberwolf's belly; for in its hurry, it had swallowed her alive.

But soon, everypony noticed that the Timberwolf began to cough and gag violently, as if something was lodged in its throat and it was trying to get it out. Everypony nervously gathered around the gagging creature, unsure of what was going to happen next. And then, out of nowhere, the Timberwolf coughed loudly, collapsed to the ground beneath it, and then shattered into nothing but useless splinters as something large and pink came flying out of its throat. It was Ducky Pie!

And with the Timberwolf forever gone from their lives and Ducky Pie back, the Crusaders, Granny, and their animal friends all lived happily ever after.


End file.
